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

So go ahead, enjoy a little dolce vita as a treat.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Working in Campari’s favor is the lure of the Mediterranean dolce vita.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

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

Rome’s dolce vita period tends to be misremembered as a glitteringly hedonistic time, but they were also very lean years: “You know what the dolce vita was about? Cheap help,” Pepper says dryly.

From New York Times • Sep. 10, 2019

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