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 of darling

Noun

• favorite

Adjective

• loved
• beloved
• cherished
• precious
• favorite
• sweet
• dear
• special

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

But although the double Palme d’Or winners are arthouse darlings, Oscars have largely eluded them, except for 2014, when French actress Marion Cotillard was nominated for Two Days, One Night. —Damon Wise, Deadline, 6 Dec. 2025

Harry Nuriev Harry Nuriev of Crosby Studios—a fashion world darling in addition to the design-sphere—has two installations at Design Miami. —Nick Remsen, Vogue, 4 Dec. 2025

Adjective

The polished blouse is crafted from mulberry silk and spandex for a hint of stretch and has a darling tie-neck sash for extra flair. —Ali Faccenda, PEOPLE, 7 Dec. 2025

Who wouldn’t buy anything O’Connor, with his darling secret smile, tells them? —Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 3 Dec. 2025

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

Rhymes for darling

• carling
• harling
• marling
• snarling
• sparling
• starling

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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