Wiktionary

term of endearment

English

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Examples
  • sweetie or cutie or snookums — diminutive examples
  • my baby [referent is an adult] — diminutive example
  • my big strong boy [referent is a little boy] — augmentative example
  • my little man [referent is a boy] — augmentative example
  • the girls and I are going out on the town tonight [referents are all adults] — diminutive example
  • the girls in the office can take care of the note-taking and the breakroom cleanup [referents are all adults] — sexist diminutive example

Noun

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term of endearment (plural terms of endearment)

  1. A word, phrase, or nickname used as a term of address expressing affection; it is often a diminutive.
    Synonym: endearment
    Hypernym: term
    • 1846, Charles Dickens, chapter 1, in Dombey and Son:
      The words had such a softening influence, that he appended a term of endearment to Mrs. Dombey's name (though not without some hesitation, as being a man but little used to that form of address): and said, ‘Mrs. Dombey, my—my dear.’
    • 1987 September 20, Nicholas D. Kristof, “Kidnap-Murder of 5-Year-Old Shakes Japan”, in New York Times, retrieved 25 June 2013:
      "Kun" is a term of endearment often used in Japan for small boys. Yoshi-kun lived with his parents and grandparents in a house in Takasaki.
    • 2002 June 16, Simon Robinson, “Tropical Trouble”, in Time:
      The people of Madagascar call him Deba, which means Big Boss. When President Didier Ratsiraka came to power 26 years ago, the moniker was meant as a term of endearment.

Translations

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See also

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