dearling

Noun

darling (plural darlings)

1. Often used as an affectionate term of address: a person who is very dear to one.
   • Pass the wine, would you, darling?

   Synonyms:

   darl, babber, babe, precious, bae, baby, babycakes, bubba, bully, buttercup

2. A person who is kind, sweet, etc., and thus lovable; a pet, a sweetheart; also, an animal or thing which is cute and lovable.
   • The girl next door picks up all my shopping for me. She is such a darling.
3. A favourite.
   • And in ſo muche the more peril and haſard of the ſaid diſeaſes [“ambicion, auarice, riottous exceſſe, hatred, enuye, and ſuche others”] do the princes ſtand, as they are more then others made wantons ⁊ derelynges of fortune, and haue lybertie withoute checke or controllemente to fulfyll their owne...1549 February 10 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as 1548), Erasmus, “The Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Ghospell of S. Luke. The Preface of Erasmus vnto His Paraphrase vpon the Ghospell of Luke. Unto...
   1. The favourite child in a family.
      • Mary, the youngest daughter, was always her mother’s darling.
   2. (broadly) A person (often a woman) or thing that is very popular with a certain group of people.
      • a media darling
   3. (obsolete) A royal favourite, the intimate companion of a monarch or other royal personage, often delegated significant political power.
      • When kyng Henry perceiued, that the cõmons [commons] wer thus ſtomacked and bent, againſt the Quenes [Margaret of Anjou's] dearlynge William [de la Pole,] Duke of Suffolke, he plainly ſawe, that neither gloſyng woulde ſette, nor diſſimulacion coulde appeace, the continuall clamor of the importunate...a. 1548 (date written), Edward Hall, Richard Grafton, “[The Troubleous Season of Kyng Henry the Sixt.] The .XXVIII. Yere.”, in The Vnion of the Two Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre & Yorke...

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