darling

¹ American  

[dahr-ling] / ˈdɑr lɪŋ /

noun

1. a person very dear to another; one dearly loved.

2. (sometimes initial capital letter) an affectionate or familiar term of address.

3. a person or thing in great favor; a favorite.

   She was the darling of caf é society.

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adjective

1. very dear; dearly loved.

   my darling child.

2. favorite; cherished.

3. Informal. charming; cute; lovable.

   What a darling baby!

Darling ² American  

[dahr-ling] / ˈdɑr lɪŋ /

noun

1. Jay Norwood Ding, 1876–1962, U.S. political cartoonist.

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darling ¹ British  

/ ˈdɑːlɪŋ /

noun

1. a person very much loved: often used as a term of address

2. a favourite

   the teacher's darling

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adjective

1. beloved

2. much admired; pleasing

   a darling hat

Darling ² British  

/ ˈdɑːlɪŋ /

noun

1. Grace. 1815–42, English national heroine, famous for her rescue (1838) of some shipwrecked sailors with her father, a lighthouse keeper

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Other Word Forms

• darlingly adverb
• darlingness noun

Etymology

Origin of darling

before 900; Middle English derling, Old English dēorling. See dear ¹, -ling ¹

Example Sentences

The move was enough to push Exxon’s forward stock-price-to-earnings ratio to recently top that of market darling Nvidia.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Southern California defense tech darling Anduril Industries has struck a deal to buy Orange County space surveillance firm ExoAnalytic Solutions.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

The AI darling reported fourth-quarter financials that handily beat analyst estimates, and gave a stronger-than-expected financial guidance.

From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026

That marks a reversal for the industry, which became a Wall Street darling thanks to pricey subscriptions, minimal capital expenditures and strong profit margins.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

Then later: "Do you feel better, darling? Is the head any better?"

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway