endearment en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ɪnˈdɪəɹ.mənt/
Etymology
Etymology tree English endear Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-mentom Latin -mentum Old French -mentbor. Middle English -ment English -ment English endearment From endear + -ment.
Meanings
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The act or process of endearing, of causing (something or someone) to be loved or to be the object of affection.
Every step of that walk led Jeff deeper into an excursion of endearment. It was amazingly true that he trod beside her an acknowledged friend, a secret lover.
1913, William MacLeod Raine, chapter 20, in The Vision Splendid:
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The state or characteristic of being endeared.
He could not forget the fond and earnest look that had passed between her and some other man—the attitude of familiar confidence, if not of positive endearment.
1855, Elizabeth Gaskell, chapter 38, in North and South:
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An expression of affection.
When they were alone he called him "my boy," an endearment he never gave another.
1902, Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton, chapter 18, in The Conqueror:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| endearments | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| indearment | alternative | lexicographic |
Relateds
Synonyms
belovedness · term of endearment
Translations (26)
el καλόπιασμα (act or process of endearing) · ro îndrăgire (an expression of affection) · sv ömhetsbetygelse (act or process of endearing) · sv omtyckthet (state of being endeared) · ca una mostra de tendresa (an expression of affection) · it vezzeggiativo (an expression of affection) · ru выражение нежности (an expression of affection) · it accarezzamento (act or process of endearing) · es afecto (an expression of affection) · de Kosename (an expression of affection) · fr affection (an expression of affection) · ca una mostra d' afecte (an expression of affection) · ro dezmierdare (an expression of affection) · el χαϊδευτικό (an expression of affection) · es encariñamiento (act or process of endearing) · bg нежност (an expression of affection) · ru выраже́ние нежности (act or process of endearing) · ru выражение привязанности (an expression of affection) · sv smeknamn (an expression of affection) · ro afecțiune (an expression of affection) · bcl ranga (act or process of endearing) · de Zuneigung (act or process of endearing) · es hipocorístico (an expression of affection) · es ternura (an expression of affection) · de Zärtlichkeit (state of being endeared) · es cariño (an expression of affection)