0 a word or phrase that you use to show that you love someone: --
terms of endearment such as "darling" or "sweetheart"
And usually it's words that are terms of endearment like sweetheart or honey.
I think this is a classic example of how it would be impossible to decide whether an expression was grossly insulting or a term of endearment.
The term "old"—hen—is a term of endearment; it does not mean that someone is decrepit.
It might be thought to be a term of endearment.
We talk about collective bargaining, sometimes in terms of endearment, though so often to-day this means little more than the rule of the jungle.
I am not quite sure whether the expression "the fuzz" is supposed to be derogatory or whether it is a term of endearment.
I am told that in certain parts of the country the word "hinny" is a well-known term of endearment.
I am afraid it is not a term of endearment.
