dulcet en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈdʌl.sɪt/ (UK, US)
- /ˈdʌl.sət/ (UK, US)
- (US) audio
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. Doublet of dolcetto and doucet.
Meanings
-
Sweet, especially when describing voice or tones; melodious.
Matthew "MattKC" Wong (actor) (2024), 6s from the start, in I ported THOUSANDS of apps to Windows 95: “Ah, yes, the dulcet tones of Windows 95.”
Her name was Michaela, but the men called her filthy things in dulcet, ingratiating voices, and she giggled with childish joy because she understood no English and thought they were flattering her and making harmless jokes.
1961 November 10, Joseph Heller, “The Eternal City”, in Catch-22 […], New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, →OCLC, page 433:
- Generally pleasing; agreeable.
-
(archaic) Sweet to the taste.
[…]for drink the Grape / She crushes, inoffensive must, and meads / From many a berry, and from sweet kernels prest / She tempers dulcet creams[…]
1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
Deriveds
Relateds
dulciana · dulcinea · edulcorate · dolce far niente · dolce vita · billet-doux · dulcimer · dulcify
Synonyms
birdsweet · sugary · soothing · agreeable · sweet · mellifluous
Translations (30)
el τραγουδιστός (sweet (voice, tone), melodious) · de lind (generally pleasing, soothing, agreeable) · sv ljuv (sweet (voice, tone), melodious) · bg сладък (sweet to the taste) · ru приятный (sweet (voice, tone), melodious) · fi sointuva (sweet (voice, tone), melodious) · fi makea (sweet to the taste) · de angenehm (generally pleasing, soothing, agreeable) · de süß (sweet to the taste) · fr suave (sweet (voice, tone), melodious) · de angenehm (sweet to the taste) · es dulce (sweet to the taste) · fi suloinen (sweet (voice, tone), melodious) · es dulce (sweet (voice, tone), melodious) · te శ్రావ్యమైన (sweet (voice, tone), melodious) · bg приятен (generally pleasing, soothing, agreeable) · fi suloinen (generally pleasing, soothing, agreeable) · de wohlklingend (sweet (voice, tone), melodious) · ru мелодичный (sweet (voice, tone), melodious) · bg мелодичен (sweet (voice, tone), melodious) · sv ljuv (generally pleasing, soothing, agreeable) · sv smäktande (sweet (voice, tone), melodious) · es dulce (generally pleasing, soothing, agreeable) · de lieblich (sweet (voice, tone), melodious) · fi suloinen (sweet to the taste) · fi miellyttävä (generally pleasing, soothing, agreeable) · ar عَذْب (sweet (voice, tone), melodious) · de beruhigend (generally pleasing, soothing, agreeable) · de lieblich (sweet to the taste) · de melodisch (sweet (voice, tone), melodious)