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
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Noun
Artificial intelligence has been the darling of the technology world for over two years, attracting several billions of dollars in capital. Kolawole Samuel Adebayo, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025 Lions 41, Commanders 35 Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles (Sunday, 3 p.m.) Wacker: The Rams could be the darlings of the playoffs. Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 17 Jan. 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

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Dictionary Entries Near darling

Cite this Entry

“Darling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/darling. Accessed 27 Jan. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on darling

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