dolce far niente
English
editEtymology
editBorrowed from Italian dolce far niente (literally “sweet doing nothing, sweet idleness”).
Pronunciation
edit- (UK) IPA(key): /ˌdɒltʃeɪ ˌfɑː nɪˈɛnteɪ/
- (US) IPA(key): /ˌdoʊltʃeɪ ˌfɑɹ niˈɛnteɪ/, /ˌdoʊltʃi ˌfɑɹ niˈɛnti/
- Rhymes: -ɛnti
- Hyphenation: dol‧ce far nien‧te
Noun
editdolce far niente (uncountable)
- Sheer indulgent relaxation and blissful laziness, the enjoyment of idleness.
- 1882, W. S. Gilbert, Iolanthe
- This gentleman is seen, / With a maid of seventeen, / A-taking of his dolce far niente; / And wonders he'd achieve, / For he asks us to believe / She's his mother—and he's nearly five-and-twenty!
- 1890, J.W. Collins, “Society proceedings of the Colorado State Medical Society”, in The Omaha Clinic[1], volume 3, number 5, retrieved 2021-03-20, page 131:
- We should so organize our rank and mobilize our forces that our influence may not be dissipated before the advancing hosts of quackery and ignorance. This we can do effectively if only the wise and successful ones among our leaders can be induced to forgo the dolce far niente of the noontime of their lives.
- 1882, W. S. Gilbert, Iolanthe
Related terms
editTranslations
editenjoyment of idleness
|
Italian
editEtymology
editLiterally, “sweet doing nothing, sweet idleness”.
Pronunciation
editNoun
editdolce far niente m (uncountable)
- dolce far niente (enjoyment of idleness)
- Synonym: ozio
Related terms
editCategories:
- English terms borrowed from Italian
- English terms derived from Italian
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:English/ɛnti
- Rhymes:English/ɛnti/6 syllables
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English multiword terms
- English terms with quotations
- Italian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Italian lemmas
- Italian nouns
- Italian uncountable nouns
- Italian multiword terms
- Italian masculine nouns