dolce

American  

[dohl-chey, dawl-che] / ˈdoʊl tʃeɪ, ˈdɔl tʃɛ /

adjective

1. sweet; soft.

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noun

1. an instruction to the performer that the music is to be executed softly and sweetly.

2. a soft-toned organ stop.

dolce British  

/ ˈdoltʃe, ˈdɒltʃɪ /

adjective

1. music (to be performed) gently and sweetly

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Etymology

Origin of dolce

1840–50; < Italian < Latin dulcis savory, sweet; see dulcet

Explanation

When you come across the instruction dolce in a piece of music, play or sing it in a sweet and gentle way, which means it should also be fairly soft or quiet. Dolce is Italian. It’s hard to pack its meaning into just one English word, but "sweet," "gentle," "soft," and "tender" all come to mind. In music it describes an overall feeling or style, usually including the fact that the music is a bit quieter and not too fast — in other words, much like you’d expect a lullaby to sound. Dolce can be used as an adverb, as in "This piece of music should be played dolce," or an adjective, as in "Next comes a dolce section."

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

I started making homemade pasta years ago after going to Italy for the first time, and realizing that fresh pasta really is “la dolce vita.”

From Seattle Times • Aug. 15, 2023

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

I did not describe it in detail, only said it was a dolce, and I think he believed it was something more elaborate than bread pudding.

From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway