People who are loved and cherished; beloved or favorite people (the word is affectionate and can be sarcastic).
From Middle English 'derling,' derived from 'dear' with the suffix '-ling' (a small or lesser one). The word has meant 'beloved person' since around 1200 AD, originally with a sense of 'little dear.'
The word 'darling' can be genuinely affectionate or completely sarcastic depending on tone—British actors especially use 'darling' sarcastically in a way that's hilarious! It shows how the exact same word can mean opposite things based on how you say it.
Historically applied asymmetrically—used to diminish or infantilize women in authority contexts ('Yes, darling') while rare for men, encoding power dynamics of paternalism.
Avoid in professional contexts; in personal contexts, ensure reciprocal and respectful use between all parties rather than speaker-to-subordinate.
["dear","beloved"]
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