# darling

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈdɑːlɪŋ/ · frequency rank #6,125

## Definitions
1. Often used as an affectionate term of address: a person who is very dear to one.
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.
3. A favourite.
4. A favourite.
5. A favourite.
6. A favourite.

## 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.

## Easily confused with
- **during** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darling-vs-during)
- **dating** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darling-vs-dating)
- **Darwin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darling-vs-darwin)
- **drying** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darling-vs-drying)
- **Darrin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darling-vs-darrin)
- **dealing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darling-vs-dealing)
- **dashing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darling-vs-dashing)
- **dialing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darling-vs-dialing)
- **dawning** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darling-vs-dawning)
- **darting** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darling-vs-darting)
- **dazzling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darling-vs-dazzling)
- **daring** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/daring-vs-darling)
- **dancing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dancing-vs-darling)
- **damning** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damning-vs-darling)
- **Darlene** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darlene-vs-darling)
- **dabbing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dabbing-vs-darling)
- **dangling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dangling-vs-darling)
- **dabbling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dabbling-vs-darling)

## Common misspellings (11)
`adrling`, `dalring`, `darilng`, `darlign`, `darlingg`, `darlinng`, `darlling`, `darlnig`, `darrling`, `ddarling`, `draling`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/darling