darling

noun

dar·ling | \ ˈdär-liŋ

Definition of darling

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : a dearly loved person

2 : favorite a director who is the darling of the critics

darling

adjective

Definition of darling (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : dearly loved : favorite

2 : very pleasing : charming

Darling

geographical name

Dar·ling | \ ˈdär-liŋ

Definition of Darling (Entry 3 of 3)

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

Other Words from darling Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about darling

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Did You Know?

Noun

The origins of "darling" can be found in the very heart of the English language; its earliest known uses can be traced back to Old English writings from the 9th century. Old English "deorling" was formed by attaching the Old English suffix -ling ("one associated with or marked by a specified quality") with the adjective "dēore," the ancestor of our adjective "dear" ("regarded very affectionately or fondly," "highly valued or esteemed," "beloved"). English speakers appear to have developed a fondness for "darling" and have held on to it for over a thousand years now. And though its spelling has changed over time - including variations such as "dyrling," "derlinge," and "dearling" - "darling" has maintained its original sense of "one dearly loved."

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

At the same time almost to the minute, the Des Moines Register was releasing its Iowa Poll of likely caucus-goers that showed O’Rourke—once a darling of the political handicappers—with dismal 2-percent support. — Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, "Beto’s Bet on Iowa," 9 June 2019 Shares in Chinese video-surveillance company Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology, a darling of Western investors, dropped 5.5% Wednesday on reports that the company could be blacklisted by the U.S. government. — Mike Bird, WSJ, "Global Investors Get Burned on Their Favorite Chinese Surveillance Stock," 22 May 2019 At Warhol Women, opening at Lévy Gorvy on April 25, you're confronted by the artist's bold, colossal paintings of female celebrities, society darlings, and modern icons. — Liz Cantrell, Town & Country, "Andy Warhol Fans Have Two New Must-See Shows," 25 Apr. 2019 Eventually, Steiner’s inner geek and proven obsession with 3D printing brought him to Brooklyn’s freshly founded tech darling, MakerBot. — Josh Snider, Popular Mechanics, "The Everything Workshop," 4 Dec. 2018 For more than half a century, cinephiles and silver-screen darlings have flocked to the Cannes Film Festival, which debuts the biggest and most boundary-pushing new films of note. — Calin Van Paris, Vogue, "21 Iconic Cannes Beauty Moments: From Kate Moss to Kristen Stewart," 10 May 2019 Aiming to knock down Laura Moser, a progressive Democrat and darling of the resistance who was running for Congress in Texas’s 7th Congressional District, the DCCC published a savage list of reasons Texans shouldn’t vote for her. — Rebecca Nelson, Marie Claire, "Party Crashers: These Female Candidates Are Shaking Up The Midterms," 2 Nov. 2018 There are many different ways to reach the same outcome, Capricorn darling, so let your intuition be your compass. — Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, "What October's Capricorn Horoscope Means for You," 30 Sep. 2018 With more than two decades of experience, the actress, author, and fashion darling has made a career of taking on unconventional characters and making them entirely believable. — Adam Rathe, Town & Country, "The Original Preppy Murder: Chloë Sevigny Takes the Lead in Her New Film About Lizzie Borden," 27 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Across the way is the most darling wood-burning stove—plus solar, water, battery, and load meters. — Taysha Murtaugh, Country Living, "Just Wait Until You See the Inside of This Horse Truck-Turned-Tiny Home," 4 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'darling.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.