endearment
/ɪnˈdɪəmənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈdɪrmənt/ (ame, ipa) · /in-ˈdir-mənt/ (ame, mw)
endearment — noun
- endearmentsingular
- endearmentsplural
1. a loving name or short loving phrase you call someone close to you — for example
a loving name or short loving phrase you call someone close to you — for example, calling a partner "darling" or "sweetheart", or murmuring soft loving things in their ear.
Faisal called his wife "my little star", a term of endearment from their early days together.
fixed phrase: a term of endearment
Nora whispered endearments to her newborn baby while rocking him to sleep.
plural: whisper endearments to someone
In Olivia's family, "pumpkin" and "sweet pea" are the usual endearments for the children.
Ryo found it strange that his Irish host kept addressing him with endearments like "love" and "pet".
Élise blushed when Joaquín ended every text message with a different endearment.
- pet name
more everyday, less formal than 'endearment'; same idea of a loving nickname
- term of endearment
the standard fixed phrase; often used when explaining what an endearment is
- sweet nothing
usually plural; soft loving words whispered to a partner, with a slightly old-fashioned or romantic feel
- insult
a word meant to hurt rather than show love
文法句型
a term of endearment
whisper / murmur endearments
用法筆記
Usually plural in everyday talk about loving names couples or parents use; the singular often appears in the fixed phrase 'a term of endearment'. Subject is typically a person addressing someone they love (partner, child, close friend), not a stranger.