dolce far niente

[ dawl-che fahr-nyen-te ]

/ ˈdɔl tʃɛ fɑr ˈnyɛn tɛ /

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noun Italian.

pleasing inactivity.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of dolce far niente

Literally, “(it is) sweet to do nothing”

Words nearby dolce far niente

do justice to, dol, dolabriform, Dolby, dolce, dolce far niente, Dolcelatte, dolce vita, doldrums, dole, dole bludger

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dolce far niente in a sentence

Take long doses of dolce far niente, and be in no great hurry about anything in this 'varsal world!
George Eliot's Life, Vol. I (of 3)|George Eliot
Unless one is brought up to it, the Dolce far niente is not an existence we enjoy.
Lazy Thoughts of a Lazy Girl|Jenny Wren
It was lying in the boy's hand, with a sort of contented dolce far niente expression on its face.
Birds and all Nature, Vol. IV, No. 1, July 1898|Various
The baron's fire was just in this delightful da capo condition, most favorable of all to the enjoyment of the dolce far niente.
In the Yule-Log Glow, Book II|Various

But the whole party is stricken with "camp-fever," "Indian laziness," the dolce far niente.
Woodcraft and Camping|George Washington Sears (Nessmuk)

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