darling
gb/dˈɑɹlɪŋ/ us/dˈɑɹlɪŋ/
A2
English
~ 9800
drágám, kedves, kedvenc, drága, szeretett, aranyos, bájos, cuki
NOUN
A2
INFORMAL
1
Usage pattern:
call [someone] 'darling'
Come here, darling, you must be freezing.
Gyere ide, drágám, biztosan nagyon fázol.
Goodnight, my darling, sleep well.
Jó éjt, drágám, aludj jól.
Her little boy is the darling of the whole family.
I miss you, darling, please call me when you land.
Thank you for waiting for me, darling, I know it was a long day.
Learner examples
Good morning, darling, how are you?
Jó reggelt, drágám, hogy vagy?
He kissed his darling and left for work.
Megcsókolta a kedvesét, és elindult dolgozni.
She called her daughter darling and gave her a hug.
I love you, my darling.
His grandmother always calls him darling.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "darling" for people they do not know well, which can sound too intimate or even rude. It is usually only for close family members, romantic partners, or very close friends. Another mistake is writing *a darling* to mean simply "a nice person"; in modern English it is normally used with a possessive ("my darling", "her darling") or as direct address ("Darling, are you ready?").
Meaning
a person you love deeply
Collocations
my darling
|oh, darling
|sweet darling
|darling husband
|darling wife
|darling child
Synonyms
sweetheart (Very similar loving nickname; often used between romantic partners.)
|
dear (Slightly more neutral and old-fashioned; can sound polite rather than intimate in some contexts.)
|
honey (Common especially in American English; sounds very informal and sometimes folksy.)
Antonyms
enemy (Someone you strongly dislike or are in conflict with, the opposite of a beloved person.)
|
stranger (Someone you do not know or feel close to, not a loved one.)
Themes
relationships
|emotions
|daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A person you love very much, often used as a loving name when you talk to them.
A person who is loved very much, often used as a term of endearment when speaking to them.
NOUN
B2
2
kedvenc
A2
Usage pattern:
[someone] is the darling of [a group]
The young actress quickly became the media darling after her breakout role.
A fiatal színésznő áttörést hozó szerepe után hamar a média kedvence lett.
For years he was the darling of Wall Street, until the scandal destroyed his reputation.
Évekig a Wall Street kedvence volt, amíg a botrány tönkre nem tette a hírnevét.
The director is a critics' darling, even though her films rarely make much money.
She is the party's new darling, praised for her fresh ideas and strong speeches.
The startup has become the darling of tech investors this year.
Learner examples
The singer is now the media darling.
Az énekesnő most a média kedvence.
For a long time he was the darling of the fans.
Sokáig a rajongók kedvence volt.
This writer is a critics' darling but not very famous with the public.
The young player is the new darling of the team.
That chef has become the darling of food bloggers.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this sense with the personal term of endearment and say things like *"He is my media darling"* when they mean *"He is a media darling"*. In this meaning, "darling" is usually used with a group or field ("the darling of the media", "a critics' darling").
Meaning
person especially favored by others
Collocations
media darling
|critics' darling
|political darling
|the darling of the public
|the darling of the party
|teacher's darling
Synonyms
favorite (Very close in meaning but more general; does not carry the same sense of public praise or fashionability.)
|
golden boy (Informal; often used for a young man who is highly admired and successful.)
Antonyms
outsider (Someone who is not accepted by the group, opposite of being especially liked by it.)
|
pariah (Someone who is rejected or avoided by society or a group, strongly contrasting with being a "darling".)
Themes
media
|reputation
|work
|communication
|arts_entertainment
Definition
A person that a group of people likes and praises more than others.
A person who is especially liked, admired, or favored by a particular group, such as the media, critics, or a community.
B1
INFORMAL
3
Usage pattern:
darling [family member]
She kissed her darling children goodbye before leaving for the airport.
Búcsúzóul megcsókolta drága gyermekeit, mielőtt elindult a repülőtérre.
They named the restaurant after their darling grandmother.
Szeretett nagymamájukról nevezték el az éttermet.
We planted a tree in memory of our darling friend.
His darling daughter ran into his arms when he came home.
They looked at their darling newborn son with tears in their eyes.
Learner examples
He wrote a letter to his darling wife.
Levelet írt drága feleségének.
They take care of their darling baby every day.
Mindennap gondoskodnak drága kisbabájukról.
We will never forget our darling mother.
She made a cake for her darling father.
This song is for my darling sister.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes place "darling" after the noun (e.g. *"my son darling"*). In this adjective use, it normally comes before the noun ("my darling son"). They may also mix noun and adjective patterns, saying *"my the darling son"*; "darling" is either a noun ("my darling") or an adjective before a noun ("my darling son"), but not both at once.
Meaning
very much loved; dear
Collocations
darling child
|darling husband
|darling wife
|darling little boy
|my darling sister
|our darling son
Synonyms
beloved (More formal or literary; often used in writing, speeches, or religious language.)
|
dear (Common and slightly more neutral; can be affectionate or polite depending on context.)
Antonyms
hated (Describes someone strongly disliked, directly opposite of being very loved.)
|
unloved (Describes someone who does not receive love or affection, contrasting with "darling".)
Themes
relationships
|family
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Very loved and special to someone, used before a noun.
Very much loved; dear and precious to someone, usually used before a noun.
B2
INFORMAL
4
Usage pattern:
a darling [object or piece of clothing]
That is a darling little dress; where did you buy it?
Ez egy nagyon aranyos kis ruha; hol vetted?
Their cottage is absolutely darling, with flowers all around the door.
A házikójuk egyszerűen bájos, virágokkal az ajtó körül.
She chose a darling pink outfit for her niece.
The café has this darling old clock on the wall.
What a darling idea for a birthday card!
Learner examples
You look darling in that dress.
Nagyon aranyosan nézel ki abban a ruhában.
Their baby’s room is very darling.
Nagyon aranyos a babaszobájuk.
She bought a darling blue skirt.
This is a darling little café.
Your new bag is darling.
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use this sense for people in a modern way (*"He is very darling"*), which can sound strange or old-fashioned. In this meaning, "darling" is mostly used for things (dresses, houses, decorations) or sometimes for small children, and usually before a noun ("a darling dress").
Meaning
very pretty, cute, or charming
Collocations
a darling little dress
|a darling outfit
|a darling house
|looks absolutely darling
|such a darling design
|that’s just darling
Synonyms
adorable (Very close in meaning; more common and modern in many varieties of English.)
|
cute (More general and widely used; "darling" sounds more old-fashioned or refined.)
Antonyms
ugly (Direct opposite in terms of visual attractiveness.)
|
plain (Describes something simple and not attractive or special, contrasting with "darling".)
Themes
appearance
|fashion
|opinions
|daily_life
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Very nice and cute in a sweet way, often used about things like clothes or rooms.
Very pretty, cute, or charming in a sweet or slightly old-fashioned way, often said about clothes, decorations, or small objects.
Grammar
Dictionary form
darling
IPA
GB/dˈɑɹlɪŋ/
US/dˈɑɹlɪŋ/
Syllables & stress
darling (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (darling)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: darling
Noun
- Base: darling
- Plural: darling, darlings
Word family
Expressions
critics' darling
1/kɹˈɪtɪks dˈɑɹlɪŋ/
fixed phrase
artist or work loved by critics
An artist, actor, or work (like a film or book) that professional critics like and praise very much.
Examples
- The film was a critics' darling but did poorly at the box office.
- She has become a critics' darling for her bold and unusual novels.
kill your darlings
1/kˈɪl jˈʊɹ dˈɑɹlɪŋz/
idiom
cut beloved but unhelpful parts
To delete or remove sentences, ideas, or parts of your writing or other work that you personally like, when they do not really help the whole piece.
Examples
- Good editors will tell you to kill your darlings to make the story stronger.
- When revising her essay, she had to kill her darlings and cut several favorite paragraphs.
media darling
1/mˈidiə dˈɑɹlɪŋ/
fixed phrase
person especially loved by media
A famous person that newspapers, TV, and online media talk about in a very positive way.
Examples
- After her first big film, she quickly became a media darling.
- The politician was once a media darling, but now reporters are much more critical.
teacher's darling
1/tˈit͡ʃɚz dˈɑɹlɪŋ/
fixed phrase
informal
student especially favored by teacher
A student that the teacher likes more than the other students, sometimes seen as getting special help or praise.
Examples
- He was always the teacher's darling and got extra attention in class.
- Some classmates thought she was the teacher's darling and felt jealous.