# darling

Pronunciation: US say "DAR-ling" /ˈdɑɹlɪŋ/; UK say "DAH-ling" /ˈdɑːlɪŋ/

## Noun

1. A person who is very dear to someone; often used as an affectionate way of addressing them.
   - Simple: A person you love very much, often used as a loving name when you speak to them.
   - _Darling, have you seen my car keys anywhere?_
   - _He wrote long letters home to his darling while he was stationed overseas._
2. A person or thing that is especially favored or popular, whether by one person (such as a favorite child) or by a particular group.
   - Simple: A person or thing that someone especially likes, or that a group of people likes and praises a lot.
   - _The young director became a darling of the critics after her first film._
   - _The startup was a Wall Street darling until its profits collapsed._
5. A kind, sweet, or otherwise lovable person; also, a cute and lovable animal or thing.
   - Simple: A very kind or sweet person, or a cute animal or thing that is easy to love.
   - _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._

## Adjective

3. Very cute or lovable; adorable and charming.
   - Simple: Very cute, sweet, or lovely.
   - _What a darling little cottage! I'd move in tomorrow._
   - _Your daughter looked absolutely darling in her flower-girl dress._
4. Very dear; deeply loved and cherished, or held as a favorite.
   - Simple: Loved very much and very special to you.
   - _He kept a photo of his darling daughter on his desk at work._
   - _The rose garden became her darling project after she retired._

## Verb

6. To address someone as "darling". *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: To call someone "darling" when you talk to them.
   - _Don't darling me when you've just forgotten my birthday._
   - _The two old actors darlinged each other all through the interview._

## Noun

7. The favorite and close companion of a king, queen, or other royal figure, often entrusted with considerable political power. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A close friend of a king or queen, often given a lot of power.

## 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.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/darling (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).