dolce far niente

[ dawl-che fahr nyen-te ]
/ ˈdɔl tʃɛ fɑr ˈnyɛn tɛ /

noun Italian.

pleasing inactivity.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Origin of dolce far niente

literally, (it is) sweet to do nothing

Words nearby dolce far niente

dol, dol., dolabriform, dolby, dolce, dolce far niente, dolce vita, dolcelatte, doldrums, dole, dole bludger
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for dolce far niente

  • Resolutely he kept his face set before him, allowing himself no backward glances into the dolce-far-niente land left behind.

    The Wall Between|Sara Ware Bassett

British Dictionary definitions for dolce far niente

dolce far niente
/ Italian (ˈdoltʃe far ˈnjɛnte) /

noun

pleasant idleness

Word Origin for dolce far niente

literally: sweet doing nothing
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012