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

Despite the mockumentary being a critical darling, the premium cable network axed the comedy series after one season. —Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 27 June 2025

Theranos, once a darling of Silicon Valley, promised to revolutionize blood testing. —Oscar Chavez-Arrieta, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025

Adjective

Who wouldn’t buy anything O’Connor, with his darling secret smile, tells them? —Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 23 May 2025

The Allwood Timberline Cabin Tiny House caught our eye for a few noteworthy reasons, namely the darling front porch that’s perfect for lounging. —Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 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