dulcet

English[edit]

WOTD – 26 July 2009

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English doucet, from Old French doucet, from dulz, dulce (“sweet, pleasant”) + diminutive -et, from Latin dulcis (“sweet, pleasant”). Cognate with Spanish dulce, French doux, Italian dolce, Portuguese doce, and Romanian dulce. Doublet of dolcetto and doucet.

Pronunciation[edit]

(UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈdʌl.sɪt/, /ˈdʌl.sət/
Audio (US)
(file)

Adjective[edit]

dulcet

Sweet, especially when describing voice or tones; melodious.
Generally pleasing; agreeable.
(archaic) Sweet to the taste.
- 1667 — John Milton, Paradise Lost Book V
  ...for drink the Grape
  She crushes, inoffensive must, and meads
  From many a berry, and from sweet kernels prest
  She tempers dulcet creams...

Synonyms[edit]

(melodious): birdsweet
(generally pleasing): agreeable, soothing
(sweet to the taste): sugary, sweet

Related terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

sweet (voice, tone), melodious

Bulgarian: мелодичен (bg) (melodičen)
Finnish: sointuva
French: suave (fr)
German: wohlklingend (de), melodisch (de), lieblich (de)

Greek: τραγουδιστός (el) (tragoudistós)
Russian: мелодичный (ru) (melodičnyj), приятный (ru) (prijatnyj)
Spanish: dulce (es)
Telugu: శ్రావ్యమైన (te) (śrāvyamaina)

generally pleasing, soothing, agreeable

Bulgarian: приятен (bg) (prijaten)
Finnish: miellyttävä (fi)

German: angenehm (de), beruhigend (de), lind (de)
Spanish: dulce (es)

sweet to the taste

Bulgarian: сладък (bg) (sladǎk)
Finnish: makea (fi)

German: lieblich (de), süß (de), angenehm (de)
Spanish: dulce (es)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

French: ^{(please verify)} doux (fr)

Ido: ^{(please verify)} dulca

Latin[edit]

Verb[edit]