dolce vita

American  

[dawl-che vee-tah, dohl-chey vee-tuh] / ˈdɔl tʃɛ ˈvi tɑ, ˈdoʊl tʃeɪ ˈvi tə /

noun

Italian.

1. sweet life; the good life perceived as one of physical pleasure and self-indulgence (usually preceded byla ).

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dolce vita British  

/ ˈdɒltʃɪ ˈviːtə, ˈdoltʃe ˈvita /

noun

1. a life of luxury

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Etymology

Origin of dolce vita

Italian, literally: sweet life

Example Sentences

Which is why the Olympic rink has been invaded by George Michael, the Backstreet Boys and enough Ricky Martin to turn Milan’s dolce vita into la vida loca.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

Little is still what it seems at another White Lotus resort halfway across the world, certainly souring la dolce vita for the fabled hotel chain’s latest round of guests.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 6, 2022

More and more Italians were able to participate in the leisure economy, and dictates of the dolce vita were often drawn from perceptions of American lifestyles.

From Salon • Feb. 6, 2022

It really was la dolce vita, he recalled.

From New York Times • Oct. 22, 2021

Rome might be la dolce vita of vespas, but Turin is the headquarters of such dashing rides as Fiat and Alfa Romeo.

From Washington Post