darling
/ˈdɑɹlɪŋ/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.09 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Often used as an affectionate term of address: a person who is very dear to one.
noun
A person who is kind, sweet, etc., and thus lovable; a pet, a sweetheart; also, an animal or thing which is cute and lovable.
noun
A favourite.
noun
A favourite.
noun
A favourite.
Example Sentences
- "Pass the wine, would you, darling?"
- "[I]t is better to be / An old mans derling than a yong mans werling."
- "Feare ye not (ô darling) on thy ſide deſtinie runneth."
- "How ſhall I, void of tears, her death relate, / VVhile on her darling’s bed her mother ſate!"
- "Sleep, sweet babe! my cares beguiling: / Mother sits beside thee smiling: / Sleep, my darling, tenderly!"
- "My first, last love; the idol of my youth, / The darling of my manhood, and, alas! / Now the most blessed memory of mine age."
Etymology
The noun is derived from Middle English dereling, derelyng (“beloved person; beloved of God, devout Christian”), from Old English dīerling, dēorling (“favourite, darling; minion”), from Proto-West Germanic *diuriling, from Proto-Germanic *diurijalingaz, from *diurijaz (“beloved, dear; expensive”) (further etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *dʰegʷʰ- (“hot, warm; to burn”), or *dweh₂- (“distant, long; to remove, separate”)) + *-ilingaz (suffix forming (diminutive) nouns with the sense of ‘belonging to; coming from’). By surface analysis, dear + -ling (suffix meaning ‘immature; small’). The adjective is from an attributive use of the noun. The verb is also derived from the noun.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈdɑɹlɪŋ/
- British English: /ˈdɑːlɪŋ/
Usage
Inflected Forms
darlings (plural)
darlin' (alternative)
darlint (alternative)
dearling (alternative)
more darling (comparative)
darlinger (comparative, rare)
most darling (superlative)
darlingest (rare, superlative)
darlings (present, singular)
darlinging (participle, present)
darlinged (participle, past)
darlinged (past)