English Reference
Adjective

endearing

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ɛnˈdiɹɪŋ/ UK /ɛndˈiəɹɪŋ/ en·dear·ing

adj.describing someone or something that is very easy to like. It is often used for small habits or qualities that make a person seem sweet or charming.

adj.inspiring affection or warm approval through a charming or sweet quality. Often used to describe idiosyncratic habits or personality traits that evoke a protective or fond response.


SIMPLE

He has an endearing habit of humming while he works.

CONTEXTUAL

Despite her occasional clumsiness, her colleagues found her honesty and enthusiasm quite endearing.

COMPLEX

The protagonist's vulnerability and awkward attempts at social grace proved endearing to the audience, making his eventual success feel deeply earned.

Usage

Typically used as an attributive adjective before a noun or predicatively after a linking verb like 'be', 'seem', or 'find'.

The characters are endearing too: they perform their numbers at the end and you find yourself rooting for each of them.

The Guardian· 14 Aug 2026

It plays as if written by a primary schoolchild high on pick’n’mix, and is endearing and nonplussing in equal measure.

The Guardian· 14 Aug 2026

From endear + -ing.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated