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
Nebraska The Cornhuskers will bring a corn maze of mystery from Lincoln, an early-season Big Ten darling that has cratered in recent weeks. Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 11 Nov. 2024 Chief among these is Orbán, 61, who has become an unlikely darling to Trump and other Republicans, who have hosted him and courted his political advice. Alexander Smith, NBC News, 8 Nov. 2024
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

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near darling

Cite this Entry

“Darling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/darling. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on darling

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!