What does "darling" mean?
Often used as an affectionate term of address: a person who is very dear to one.
Darling
/ˈdɑːlɪŋ/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Often used as an affectionate term of address: a person who is very dear to one.
- Grammar: darling is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: beloved, dear, love, sweetheart.
- Useful contrasts: detached address, detested, disdain.
- Usage evidence: "Oh, darling," she said, "sit down, relax, and close your eyes."
How to use "darling"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "darling" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "darling" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "darling" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "darling" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "darling" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "beloved" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "darling", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Often used as an affectionate term of address: a person who is very dear to one.
"Pass the wine, would you, darling?"
- 2 a beloved person; used as terms of endearment wordnet
- 3 A person who is kind, sweet, etc., and thus lovable; a pet, a sweetheart; also, an animal or thing which is cute and lovable.
"The girl next door picks up all my shopping for me. She is such a darling."
- 4 a special loved one wordnet
- 5 A favourite.
"And in ſo muche the more peril and haſard of the ſaid diſeaſes [“ambicion, auarice, riottous exceſſe, hatred, enuye, and ſuche others”] do the princes ſtand, as they are more then others made wantons ⁊ derelynges of fortune, and haue lybertie withoute checke or controllemente to fulfyll their owne ſenſuall luſtes and appetites."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A favourite.; The favourite child in a family.
"Mary, the youngest daughter, was always her mother’s darling."
- 7 A favourite.; A person (often a woman) or thing that is very popular with a certain group of people. broadly
"a media darling"
- 8 A favourite.; A royal favourite, the intimate companion of a monarch or other royal personage, often delegated significant political power. obsolete
"When kyng Henry perceiued, that the cõmons [commons] wer thus ſtomacked and bent, againſt the Quenes [Margaret of Anjou's] dearlynge William [de la Pole,] Duke of Suffolke, he plainly ſawe, that neither gloſyng woulde ſette, nor diſſimulacion coulde appeace, the continuall clamor of the importunate cõmons: Wherefore to begyn a ſhorte pacificacion in to long a broyle."
Verb
- 1 To call (someone) "darling" (noun noun sense 1). informal, transitive
"The frisky female, we have noticed, has one most unpleasant trick; it is that of darlinging and duckeying and otherwise spooneying her husband … in public. He is invariably, invariably set down as an ass, without its being in the least his fault."
Adjective
- 1 Very dear; beloved, cherished, favourite.
"She is my darling wife of twenty-two years."
- 2 Very cute or lovable; adorable, charming, sweet.
"Well, isn’t that a darling little outfit she has on?"
Adjective
- 1 dearly loved wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 An English and Scottish surname transferred from the nickname, originally a nickname from darling.
"Richard and David Darling, founders of Codemasters, a multimillion-pound computer game company, dropped out of school aged 15 and 16 to write computer games […]"
- 2 A major river of Queensland and New South Wales, Australia, named for Governor Ralph Darling.
- 3 The Australian aboriginal language Baagandji, spoken along this river in New South Wales.
- 4 A small town in the Western Cape province, South Africa.
- 5 A census-designated place in Quitman County, Mississippi, United States.
Example
""Oh, darling," she said, "sit down, relax, and close your eyes.""
Common questions
What is a synonym for "darling"?
Common synonyms include: beloved, dear, love, sweetheart, admired, admirer.
How do you use "darling" in a sentence?
"Oh, darling," she said, "sit down, relax, and close your eyes."
How do you pronounce "darling"?
Pronounced /ˈdɑːlɪŋ/.
Etymology
The noun is derived from Middle English dereling, derelyng (“beloved person; beloved of God, devout Christian”), from Old English dīerling, dēorling (“favourite, darling; minion”), from Proto-West Germanic *diuriling, from Proto-Germanic *diurijalingaz, from *diurijaz (“beloved, dear; expensive”) (further etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *dʰegʷʰ- (“hot, warm; to burn”), or *dweh₂- (“distant, long; to remove, separate”)) + *-ilingaz (suffix forming (diminutive) nouns with the sense of ‘belonging to; coming from’). By surface analysis, dear + -ling (suffix meaning ‘immature; small’). The adjective is from an attributive use of the noun. The verb is also derived from the noun.