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DARLING
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
An Australian river; tributary of the Murray River
Synonyms:
Darling; Darling River
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)
Instance hypernyms:
river (a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek))
Holonyms ("Darling" is a part of...):
Australia (the smallest continent; between the South Pacific and the Indian Ocean)
Sense 2
Meaning:
A special loved one
Synonyms:
darling; dearie; deary; ducky; favorite; favourite; pet
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("darling" is a kind of...):
lover (a person who loves someone or is loved by someone)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "darling"):
chosen (one who is the object of choice; who is given preference)
macushla ((an Irish term of address expressing affection) darling)
mollycoddle (a pampered darling; an effeminate man)
teacher's pet (the teacher's favorite student)
Derivation:
darling (dearly loved)
II. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Dearly loved
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Similar:
loved (held dear)
Derivation:
darling (a special loved one)
Context examples:
It was now her darling object.
(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)
It was our darling wish that you might be attached to each other—and we were persuaded that it was so.
(Emma, by Jane Austen)
William, the eldest, a year older than herself, her constant companion and friend; her advocate with her mother (of whom he was the darling) in every distress.
(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)
Yes, yes, my darling Isabella, said Mrs. Thorpe, we perfectly see into your heart.
(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)
"Good-by, my darlings! God bless and keep us all!" whispered Mrs. March, as she kissed one dear little face after the other, and hurried into the carriage.
(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)
But as I was out of all fear of being ill-treated under the protection of so great and good an empress, the ornament of nature, the darling of the world, the delight of her subjects, the phoenix of the creation, so I hoped my late master’s apprehensions would appear to be groundless; for I already found my spirits revive, by the influence of her most august presence.
(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)
The darling wish of his sisters was then gratified; he bought an estate in a neighbouring county to Derbyshire, and Jane and Elizabeth, in addition to every other source of happiness, were within thirty miles of each other.
(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)
‘I promised my friend that I would say nothing of the matter, and a promise is a promise,’ said she; ‘but if I can really help her when so serious a charge is laid against her, and when her own mouth, poor darling, is closed by illness, then I think I am absolved from my promise.’
(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
This I know: that if ever there was a woman who was all perfection, that one is my poor wronged darling.
(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)
As when I saw my little darling looking up so naturally to those cordial eyes.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
