endearing

Etymology

endear +‎ -ing.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈdɪəɹɪŋ/, /ɛn-/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /inˈdɪɹiŋ/
• Rhymes: -ɪərɪŋ
• Hyphenation: en‧dear‧ing

Adjective

endearing (comparative more endearing, superlative most endearing)

1. Inspiring affection or love, often in a childlike way.

   Synonym: cute

   Antonym: unendearing

   • 2017 December 1, Tom Breihan, “Mad Max: Fury Road Might Already be the Best Action Movie Ever Made”, in The A.V. Club‎, archived from the original on 22 February 2018:

     And yet [Nathan] Jones is perfect in Fury Road, a deeply dangerous human weapon who, because of his infantile need for respect from his father, somehow turns out endearing even though we see him ripping an engine from the hood and throwing it at the good guys.

Noun

endearing (plural endearings)

1. Synonym of endearment.
   • 1919 September, Jack London, “On the Makaloa Mat”, in On the Makaloa Mat, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, OCLC 288484, page 23:

     It was arms around, and perpetual endearings, and all that I had missed for a weary twelve-month.

Verb

endearing

1. present participle of endear.

Anagrams

• Grenadine, engrained, grenadine