darling

1 of 2

noun

dar·​ling ˈdär-liŋ 

1

: a dearly loved person

2

: favorite

a director who is the darling of the critics

darling

2 of 2

adjective

1

: dearly loved : favorite

2

: very pleasing : charming

darlingly

ˈdär-liŋ-lē 

adverb

darlingness noun

Synonyms

Noun

• fave
• favorite
• minion
• pet
• preference
• speed

Adjective

• beloved
• cherished
• dear
• fair-haired
• favored
• favorite
• fond
• loved
• pet
• precious
• special
• sweet
• white-headed

Examples of darling in a Sentence

Noun

She was mother's little darling.

for a while that candidate was the darling of the news media and could do no wrong

Adjective

This is my darling daughter, Sara.

That dress is just darling.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Since launching as part of Apple’s initial programs in late 2019, For All Mankind has become one of the streamer’s critical darlings. —Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024

Musk, who bought X, formerly Twitter, by financing much of the purchase through Tesla stock, is now under pressure to show that the carmaker is working to improve its bottom line and allay concerns that the company is losing its place as a pace-setting innovator and a darling of the tech industry. —Trisha Thadani, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English derling, from Old English dēorling, from dēore dear

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

darling

1 of 2 noun

dar·​ling ˈdär-liŋ 

1

: a dearly loved person

2

: favorite entry 1 sense 1

darling

2 of 2 adjective

1

: dearly loved : favorite

2

: very pleasing : charming

Geographical Definition

Darling

geographical name

Dar·​ling ˈdär-liŋ 

river 1702 miles (2738 kilometers) long in southeastern Australia in Queensland and New South Wales flowing southwest into the Murray River