darling

See also Darling

English

Alternative forms

• darlin’ (informal)
• dearling

Etymology

From Middle English derling, from Old English dēorling (“darling, favorite, minion", also "household god”), corresponding to dear +‎ -ling.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈdɑː(ɹ)lɪŋ(g)/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑː(r)lɪŋ

Noun

darling (plural darlings)

1. A person who is dear to one.
   • 2011 December 15, Felicity Cloake, “How to cook the perfect nut roast”, Guardian:

     If there's such a thing as pariah food – a recipe shunned by mainstream menus, mocked to near extinction and consigned to niche hinterlands for evermore – then the nut roast, a dish whose very name has become a watchword for sawdusty disappointment, is surely a strong contender. One of the darlings of the early vegetarian movement (particularly in its even sadder form, the cutlet), it was on the menu at John Harvey Kellogg's Battle Creek Sanitarium [sic], and has since become the default Sunday option for vegetarians – and a default source of derision for everyone else.

Derived terms

• media darling

Translations

person who is dear to one

• Arabic: حبيب (ar) (ḥabīb) m, حبيبة (ar) (ḥabība) f
• Bulgarian: любим (bg) m (ljubim), любима (bg) f (ljubima)
• Catalan: estimat (ca) m, estimada (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 親愛的 (cmn), 亲爱的 (cmn) (qīn'ài de), 寶貝 (cmn), 宝贝 (cmn) (bǎobèi), 心肝寶貝 (cmn), 心肝宝贝 (cmn) (xīngān bǎobèi), 心肝 (cmn) (xīngān)

• Czech: milý (cs), miláček (cs), poklad (cs)
• Danish: elskede (da)
• Dutch: schat (nl),geliefde (nl), lieverd (nl), lieve (nl), schatje (nl) n, liefje (nl) n
• Finnish: rakas (fi)
• French: chéri (fr) m, chérie (fr) f
• German: Liebling (de), Schatz (de)
• Icelandic: elskan (is)
• Indonesian: sayang (id)
• Irish: cumann (ga) m
• Italian: tesoro (it) m, amore (it) m
• Japanese: 愛すべき (ja) (あいすべき, aisubeki) (never used as a form of address), ダーリン (ja) (dārin) (from English "darling"), スイートハート (ja) (swītohāto) (from English "sweetheart"), ハニー (ja) (hāni) (from English "honey") (these words are rarely used in Japan as a form of address), 貴方 (ja) (あなた, anata) (wife to husband, "you"), 君 (ja) (きみ, kimi) (husband to wife, "you")

• Korean: 자기(야) (ko) (jagi(ya)), 달링 (ko) (dalling)
• Kurdish:

  Sorani: نازدار (ku) (nazdar), یار (ku) (yar), یاره‌ (ku) (yare)

• Latin: dēliciæ, dēliciārum (la) f pl
• Malay: sayang (ms)
• Maori: taupuhi (mi)
• Norwegian: elskling (no) m
• Persian: دلدار (fa) (deldār), دلارام (fa) (delārām), دلبر (fa) (delbar), یار (fa) (yār)
• Russian: возлюбленный (ru) (vozljúblennyj) m , возлюбленная (ru) (vozljúblennaja) m  (not used as a form of address); дорогой (ru) (dorogój) m , дорогая (ru) (dorogája) f , любимый (ru) (ljubímyj) m , любимая (ru) (ljubímaja) f , душенька (ru) (dúšenʹka) f , голубушка (ru) (golúbuška) f , милый (ru) (mílyj) , милая (ru) (mílaja) f 
• Scottish Gaelic: luaidh (gd) m and f
• Spanish: querido (es) m, querida (es) f, amado (es) m, amada (es) f
• Swedish: älskling (sv) c
• Turkish: sevgili (tr)
• Volapük: (male or female) löfäb (vo), (male) hilöfäb (vo), (female) jilöfäb (vo)
• Welsh: cariad (cy) m
• Zulu: isingane (zu) 7/8

Adjective

darling (comparative darlinger, superlative darlingest)

1. Dear; cherished.

   She is my darling wife of twenty-two years.

2. charming

   Well isn't that a darling little outfit she has on.

Translations

dear, cherished

• Bulgarian: любим, мил, скъп
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 亲爱的 (cmn) (qin ai de)

• Finnish: rakas (fi)
• Icelandic: kær (is) m, ástkær (is) m

• Persian: نازنین (fa) (nāzanin), دلنواز (fa) (delnavāz)
• Scottish Gaelic: ionmhainn
• Spanish: querido (es) m, amado (es) m
• Volapük: löfik (vo)

charming

• Finnish: suloinen (fi)
• Persian: فریبا (fa) (faribā), دلفریب (fa) (delfarib), دلربا (fa) (delrobā)

• Spanish: encantador (es)

Usage notes

darlinger is rarely used.

Anagrams

• larding