A term of affection for someone you love very much; as an adjective, meaning very dear or loved.
From Old English 'deorling', a diminutive of 'deore' meaning 'dear', so it literally meant 'little dear one'. Over time it became a common endearment.
The '-ling' in 'darling' is the same idea as in 'duckling'—a smaller, cuter version. The word turns 'dear' into something even more tender and personal.
“Darling” has been widely used as an affectionate or patronizing term, often from men to women and children in ways that emphasize dependence or inferiority. In workplaces and public life, it has been used to belittle women’s professionalism by framing them as objects of affection rather than colleagues.
Avoid using “darling” in professional, service, or unequal power contexts; reserve it for clearly mutual, personal relationships where all parties are comfortable, and never as a default address term for strangers.
["dear (in some cultures, still potentially patronizing)","friend","colleague","everyone (for groups)"]
When discussing historical workplace norms, note how diminutives like “darling,” “sweetheart,” and “honey” were used to undermine women’s authority and how many women challenged and changed these practices.
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