darling

1 of 2

noun

dar·​ling ˈdär-liŋ How to pronounce darling (audio)
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 adverb
darlingness noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Nvidia — The artificial intelligence darling ticked up about 1% after Nvidia reported earnings and revenue that surpassed Wall Street estimates in the fourth-quarter . Brian Evans, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2025 Baby Reindeer star Jessica Gunning, a darling of the awards season, has been nominated for Best Actress, where her competition includes Monica Dolan (Mr Bates), Anna Maxwell Martin (Ludwig), Ambika Mod (One Day), and Katherine Parkinson (Rivals). Jake Kanter, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
Your darling planetary ruler, Venus, is transiting the creative sign of Leo while shining a light on your 11th house of associations, community and sense of belonging in the world. Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 5 July 2024 The essence of the inimitable country icon has been funneled into a darling new figurine, complete with a glittering orange bodysuit and bold blue eyeshadow. Melissa Epifano, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2024 See All Example Sentences for darling

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of darling was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Darling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/darling. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

darling

1 of 2 noun
dar·​ling ˈdär-liŋ How to pronounce darling (audio)
1
: a dearly loved person
2

darling

2 of 2 adjective
1
: dearly loved : favorite
2
: very pleasing : charming

Geographical Definition

Darling

geographical name

Dar·​ling ˈdär-liŋ How to pronounce Darling (audio)
river 1702 miles (2738 kilometers) long in southeastern Australia in Queensland and New South Wales flowing southwest into the Murray River

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