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

La dolce vita after the Cold War was sweet for some.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

I am fortunate to be living la dolce vita here in Italy — which happens to include a genuine concern for the well being of its citizens.

From Salon • Dec. 13, 2024

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

The cinematic vets play a quartet of septuagenarians looking for la dolce vita in a buddy comedy that promises European-vacation set pieces, girls’ trip romps and Bergen’s punchy one-liners.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2023

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