For the 1983 romantic-drama film, see Terms of Endearment. For the Drawn Together episode, see Terms of Endearment (Drawn Together episode).

A term of endearment is a word or phrase used to address and/or describe a person, animal or object for which you feel affection for. Examples are calling a spouse 'sweetie', 'honey', 'darling' etc.

Such words may not, in their original use, bear any resemblence in meaning to the meaning attached when used as a term of endearment, for example calling a spouse 'pumpkin'.