noun

darling

darling, sweetheart, honey

Good morning, darling.

Good morning, darling.

She is a real darling.

She is a real darling.

((darling)) as a term of address Come here, darling.

((a darling)) a lovable or charming person Their new baby is an absolute darling.

Synonyms: sweetheart, love, honey, dear

From Old English 'dēorling', from 'dēor' (dear) + '-ling' (diminutive suffix). Literally 'little dear one'.

Think of it as a more affectionate version of 'dear'. The '-ling' suffix often means something small and cute, like 'duckling'.

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