Endearing — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /in-ˈdir-iŋ/ en·dear·ing

Meaning & Definition of Endearing

Endearing (adjective)

  1. arousing feelings of affection or admiration

Endearing (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having qualities that tend to make one loved

    "you have to wonder about people who don't find kittens and puppies endearing"

    similar: adorable, darling, dear, disarming, lovable, lovesome, precious, sweet, winning, winsome
    related: embraceable, kissable, beloved, cherished, favored, favorite, loved, treasured, attractive, beautiful, desirable, lovely, alluring, appealing, captivating, charming, enchanting, engaging, entrancing, fascinating, fetching, admirable, likable, reputable, respectable, affable, agreeable, cheerful, cordial, friendly, genial, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, kind, nice, pleasant, delightful, pleasing, well-disposed
    opposite: abhorrent, abominable, detestable, hateful, loathsome, odious, unlovable
    near: unloved, contemptible, disagreeable, disgusting, distasteful, heinous, horrible, lousy, nasty, offensive, unlikable, unpleasant, wretched, frightful, grotesque, hideous, ill-favored, monstrous, ogreish, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, ugly, unattractive, unsightly, vile, appalling, awful, dreadful, foul, horrendous, horrid, nauseating, noisome, obnoxious, obscene, revolting, scandalous, shocking, sickening

  2. likely or intended to win one's affection

    "his impish sense of humor is one of his more endearing traits"

    similar: disarming, ingratiating, insinuating, winning, winsome
    related: adorable, charming, likable, lovable, affecting, poignant, touching, adulatory, deferential, effusive, flattering, fulsome, groveling, kowtowing, obsequious, servile, sycophantic, drooling, oleaginous, slavering, slobbering, saccharine, soapy, sugary, unctuous
    opposite: unendearing, uningratiating
    near: alienating, disaffecting, displeasing, repugnant, repulsive, arrogant, disdainful, haughty, insolent, proud, scornful

Endearing (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cause (someone) to be loved or admired by (someone or something)

    "They endeared themselves to the whole town."

    similar: ingratiating, adulating, belauding, blarneying, buttering up, flattering, hero-worshipping, honeying, massaging, overpraising, puffing, soft-soaping, stroking, blandishing, cajoling, coaxing, sweet-talking, wheedling, fawning, kowtowing, sucking (up to), toadying, idolizing, worshipping, eulogizing, extolling, lauding, praising, applauding, commending, complimenting, congratulating, felicitating, drooling, gushing, slavering, slobbering, courting, romancing, wooing
    opposite: bad-mouthing, belittling, decrying, depreciating, disparaging, putting down

Related Entry: Endear (verb)

Endear is a different word from Endearing. The synonyms below are for endear, not for endearing.

  1. to cause (someone) to be loved or admired by (someone or something)

    "They endeared themselves to the whole town."

    similar: ingratiate, adulate, belaud, blarney, butter up, flatter, hero-worship, honey, massage, overpraise, puff, soft-soap, stroke, blandish, cajole, coax, sweet-talk, wheedle, fawn, kowtow, suck (up to), toady, idolize, worship, eulogize, extol, laud, praise, applaud, commend, compliment, congratulate, felicitate, drool, gush, slaver, slobber, court, romance, woo
    opposite: bad-mouth, belittle, decry, depreciate, disparage, put down

Related Entry: Endearing (to) (verb)

Endearing (to) is a different word from Endearing. The synonyms below are for endearing (to), not for endearing.

  1. as in ingratiating

    similar: ingratiating, appeasing, assuaging, conciliating, disarming, gentling, mollifying, pacifying, placating, propitiating, calming, comforting, consoling, contenting, hushing, quieting, soothing, tranquilizing, delighting, gladdening, gratifying, pleasing, adulating, blarneying, flattering, overpraising, soft-soaping, quenching, satiating, sating, satisfying, catering (to), humoring, indulging, blandishing, cajoling, coaxing, sweet-talking, wheedling, babying, coddling, mollycoddling, pampering, spoiling
    opposite: aggravating, annoying, antagonizing, bothering, bugging, burning (up), chafing, crossing, exasperating, galling, getting, grating, irking, irritating, nettling, peeving, piquing, putting out, rankling, riling, roiling, ruffling, vexing, provoking, rousing, harassing, harrying, persecuting, pestering, agitating, discomforting, distressing, disturbing, fretting, perturbing, unhinging, unsettling, upsetting, worrying, affronting, insulting, offending, slighting, angering, enraging, incensing, inflaming, infuriating, iring, maddening, outraging

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Endearing

The most common words with a similar meaning to Endearing:

adorable, darling, dear, disarming, lovable, lovesome, precious, sweet, winning, winsome, ingratiating, insinuating, adulating, belauding, blarneying, buttering up, flattering, hero-worshipping, honeying, massaging, overpraising, puffing, soft-soaping, stroking, blandishing, cajoling, coaxing, sweet-talking, wheedling, fawning, kowtowing, sucking (up to), toadying, idolizing, worshipping, eulogizing, extolling, lauding, praising, applauding

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Endearing

Words with the opposite meaning of Endearing:

abhorrent, abominable, detestable, hateful, loathsome, odious, unlovable, unendearing, uningratiating, bad-mouthing, belittling, decrying, depreciating, disparaging, putting down

Related Words for Endearing

embraceable, kissable, beloved, cherished, favored, favorite, loved, treasured, attractive, beautiful, desirable, lovely, alluring, appealing, captivating, charming, enchanting, engaging, entrancing, fascinating, fetching, admirable, likable, reputable, respectable, affable, agreeable, cheerful, cordial, friendly

Near Antonyms of Endearing

unloved, contemptible, disagreeable, disgusting, distasteful, heinous, horrible, lousy, nasty, offensive, unlikable, unpleasant, wretched, frightful, grotesque, hideous, ill-favored, monstrous, ogreish, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, ugly, unattractive, unsightly, vile, appalling, awful, dreadful, foul

Word Forms of Endearing

Derived words: endearingly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Endearing

First known use: 1766

Frequently Asked Questions about Endearing

What does "Endearing" mean?

"Endearing" means arousing feelings of affection or admiration. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: arousing feelings of affection or admiration. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Endearing"?

Other words for "Endearing" include adorable, darling, dear, disarming, lovable, lovesome, precious and sweet. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Endearing" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Endearing"?

There are 107 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Endearing". Common alternatives include adorable, darling, dear, disarming, lovable, lovesome, precious, sweet, winning and winsome.

What is the opposite of "Endearing"?

Antonyms of "Endearing" include abhorrent, abominable, detestable, hateful, loathsome, odious, unlovable and unendearing. Near antonyms include unloved, contemptible, disagreeable and disgusting.

How do you use "Endearing" in a sentence?

Examples of "Endearing" in a sentence: "you have to wonder about people who don't find kittens and puppies endearing"; "his impish sense of humor is one of his more endearing traits"; "They endeared themselves to the whole town.".

Is "Endearing" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Endearing" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Endearing"?

"Endearing" is pronounced /in-ˈdir-iŋ/ and divided into syllables as en·dear·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Endearing"?

First known use: 1766.