darling
Pluraldarlings
Pluraldarlings
Formsdarlings, darlinging, darlinged
- 1A person who is very dear to someone; often used as an affectionate way of addressing them.
Darling, have you seen my car keys anywhere?
He wrote long letters home to his darling while he was stationed overseas.
UsageCommon when speaking to a partner or child, at the start or end of a sentence: Good night, darling.
Similardear, dearest, baby, babe, precious
Note
The older spelling derling survives in John Heywood's book of proverbs, first printed in 1546. In Julian Sharman's 1874 edition, it is better to be "An old mans derling than a yong mans werling," a werling being someone often quarreled with.
Checked 3 Nov 2026 · 5 facts
- The older spelling “derling” appears in John Heywood’s book of proverbs. upload.wikimedia.org
- Heywood’s book of proverbs was first published in 1546. celm.folger.edu
- Julian Sharman edited an edition published in 1874. catalog.folger.edu
- The quoted wording appears in Sharman’s edition. en.wiktionary.org
- “Werling” means someone often quarreled with. en.wiktionary.org
- 2A person or thing that is especially favored or popular, whether by one person (such as a favorite child) or by a particular group.
The young director became a darling of the critics after her first film.
The startup was a Wall Street darling until its profits collapsed.
UsageUsually a darling of a named group, or media darling, Wall Street darling.
Note
The pattern is old: Francis Bacon in 1605 calls Augustus a dearling of the Senate, and Thomas Fuller in 1639 has Titus styled the Darling of mankind. It can name one person's favorite, such as a favorite child, but most often the admirers are a crowd.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts
- The Bacon passage belongs to The Advancement of Learning, first published in 1605. scholarsbank.uoregon.edu
- Bacon calls Augustus a dearling of the Senate. en.wiktionary.org
- Fuller's passage belongs to The Historie of the Holy Warre, first published in 1639. archive.org
- Fuller describes Titus as styled the Darling of mankind. famineanddearth.exeter.ac.uk
- 3Very cute or lovable; adorable and charming.
What a darling little cottage! I'd move in tomorrow.
Your daughter looked absolutely darling in her flower-girl dress.
UsageOften before little: a darling little cottage. It sounds gushing, and in plain prose can seem mannered.
Similaradorable, cute, lovely, charming, sweet
Note
Punch parodied the style in 1854 with the darlingest, sweetest, prettiest, little dear darling darling, and the rare superlative darlingest still belongs to that register.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
- Punch published the quoted parody of gushing admiration in 1854. en.wiktionary.org
- The quoted wording is accurate. en.wiktionary.org
- 4Very dear; deeply loved and cherished, or held as a favorite.
He kept a photo of his darling daughter on his desk at work.
The rose garden became her darling project after she retired.
UsageUsually before the noun: my darling wife. After a verb, as in she looked darling, it means cute.
Similarbeloved, dear, cherished, precious, treasured
Note
Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 gives it its best-known line, Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, and Thomas Fuller's darling faults (1645) are the faults he was fondest of.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 contains the quoted line. en.wikisource.org
- Thomas Fuller used 'darling faults' for his cherished or favorite faults. ccel.org
- Good Thoughts in Bad Times, which contains Fuller's phrase, was first published in 1645. celm.folger.edu
- 5A kind, sweet, or otherwise lovable person; also, a cute and lovable animal or thing.
Be a darling and hold the door for me while I carry these boxes in.
The shelter's oldest dog is a gentle darling who greets every visitor.
UsageBe a darling and + verb is a warm way to ask a favor; you're a darling thanks someone.
Similardear, angel, sweetheart, treasure, gem
Less common meanings
- 6To address someone as "darling".
Don't darling me when you've just forgotten my birthday.
The two old actors darlinged each other all through the interview.
Note
Terence Rattigan's Flare Path (1942) teases stage people for it, and Khushwant Singh pairs it with honeyed: they darlinged and honeyed me for a day or two.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- Terence Rattigan wrote Flare Path, first published in 1942. pbfa.org
- The play teases theatrical people for addressing each other as darling. en.wiktionary.org
- Khushwant Singh pairs darlinged with honeyed; the item's wording paraphrases a passage in Delhi. en.wiktionary.org
- 7The favorite and close companion of a king, queen, or other royal figure, often entrusted with considerable political power.
Note
Court history used darling for a monarch's favorite, a companion with real power and often enemies: Edward Hall's chronicle shows the commons turned against Queen Margaret's darling, William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk. The sense is obsolete. A modern historian says royal favorite, and a darling today is popular rather than powerful, as in the media-darling sense.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 4 facts
- Darling historically denoted a royal favourite; such companions could wield political power and attract enemies. en.wikipedia.org
- Hall's chronicle describes the commons opposing Queen Margaret's darling, William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk. en.wiktionary.org
- The royal-favourite sense is obsolete. en.wiktionary.org
- A modern historian uses royal favourite to describe Suffolk. pureadmin.qub.ac.uk
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origin
On its face darling is dear plus the ending -ling, but the word actually comes from Middle English dereling ("beloved person"), earlier Old English dīerling or dēorling ("favourite, darling, minion"), and before that Proto-Germanic *diurijalingaz, built from *diurijaz ("beloved, dear, expensive") and the diminutive ending *-ilingaz. The adjective and the verb were both formed from the noun.