darling
- adjective
- /ˈdɑr.lɪŋ/
- Informal
- His darling wife surprised him with a romantic dinner.
- darling little
- darling little boy
- darling girl
At least that's what I say with my darling little crackers.
- At least that's what I say with my darling little crackers.
- And then I saved potentially the most darling of them all for last.
- Maybe the most darling one even beyond that was this.
- OK, is there a lighter one, darling Dolly?
Examples
-
She brought her darling cat to the vet for a check-up.
-
Mamma thought a pink cotton dress with a lace collar and yoke was most darling.
Fiction book (1993) -
That was a darling story, Mark.
-
I am the mother of two darling little boys who fill my life with hope.
Blog text (28) -
And then I saved potentially the most darling of them all for last.
-
"She's such a darling person," my mother said, hanging up the phone.
Fiction book (1996) -
The children wore darling costumes for the school play.
Synonyms
Loved and valued very much
Very important and loved because of strong personal feelings
Very much loved, often for a long time
Very much loved and kept, like a special photo or memory
A person or thing that someone cares about very much
Loved very much by one person or by many people
Compounds
- Australian
A plant from eastern Australia with bright blue, purple, or red flowers
How Loved
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word darling as an adjective also comes from dear + -ling, keeping the idea of being 'much loved' or 'cherished'. So calling something 'darling' says it is dearly loved or special.