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
Harley has become something of a darling in the wake of his success at the 4 Nations Face-Off, and after eating massive minutes with Heiskanen out injured. Max Bultman, New York Times, 1 June 2025 LuPone is the darling of Broadway, her standout turns as Eva Perón in Evita and Rose in Gypsy paving the way for an illustrious career onstage and near-constant run-ins with her stage-sharers. Raven Smith, Vogue, 28 May 2025
Adjective
Who wouldn’t buy anything O’Connor, with his darling secret smile, tells them? Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 23 May 2025 The Allwood Timberline Cabin Tiny House caught our eye for a few noteworthy reasons, namely the darling front porch that’s perfect for lounging. Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Darling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/darling. Accessed 6 Jun. 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

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!