dulcet

English

WOTD – 26 July 2009

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdʌl.sɪt/, /ˈdʌl.sət/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Adjective

dulcet

1. Sweet, especially when describing voice or tones; melodious.
2. Generally pleasing; agreeable.
3. (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

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

Related terms

• billet-doux
• dolce far niente
• dolce vita
• dulciana
• dulcify
• dulcimer
• dulcinea
• edulcorate

 

Translations

sweet (voice, tone), melodious

• Bulgarian: мелодичен (bg) (melodičen)
• Finnish: sointuva
• French: suave (fr)
• German: wohlklingend (de), melodisch (de), lieblich (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• 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)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: angenehm (de), beruhigend (de), lind (de)
• Spanish: dulce (es)

sweet to the taste

• Bulgarian: сладък (bg) (sladǎk)
• Finnish: makea (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• 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. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: ^{(please verify)} doux (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Ido: ^{(please verify)} dulca

See also

• dulcimer

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Latin

Verb

(deprecated template usage) dulcet

1. third-person singular present active subjunctive of dulcō