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

• 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

This darling cardigan sweater with scalloped detailing is only $15 thanks to a 55 percent discount, and this popular raglan blouse that comes in a variety of patterns and colors is down to $8 today. —Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025

Eggar became a darling of horror fans by appearing in such fare as The Dead Are Alive! —Chris Koseluk, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025

Adjective

That was especially the case with Cam Schlittler, the darling rookie of the Wild Card round who shut down the Boston Red Sox to help his squad move on in the postseason. —Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2025

The original battle site is preserved today by the National Park Service as a darling little plot penned in on all sides by urban Boston. —Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 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