Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DULCET
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pronounce
DULCET:
Say it "DULL sut."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
In Latin, dulce means "sweet."
You can glimpse dulce in terms like dulcet ("sweet in taste, smell, or sound"); dolce vita (Italian for "sweet life, or life of pleasure"); dulce de leche (caramelized milk, Spanish for "sweetness of milk"); and dolce f__ n_____ (Italian for "sweet nothing-doing: enjoyable laziness").
Could you recall that last one?
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
"Dulcet" traces back through French to the Latin word for "sweet."
For hundreds of years in English, we've used "dulcet" as a formal, literary word to describe things that are sweet (in sound, taste, or smell), often in a soft, gentle, peaceful, or musical way.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Adjective: "her dulcet voice," "their dulcet harmonies;" "The story ends on a dulcet note."
Other forms:
The common ones are "dulcetly" and "dulcetness."
And now for some weird ones!
There are some other adjectives, all rare: "dulcid," "dulceous," and "dulce," pronounced "DULSE." I don't recommend using any of these; many people will assume you've made an error. "Dulcet" is the safe bet.
You can "dulcerate," "dulcify," or "dulce" ("DULSE") something: that is, ease it, sweeten it, soften it. All three verbs are very rare.
Finally, the noun "dulce," pronounced "DULL see," is a rare, literary one meaning "pleasant sweetness, gentleness, or delightfulness." Although you hardly ever see it, when you do, it's usually contrasted with "utile" (pronounced "YOU tuh lee"), meaning "usefulness." Here's an example from P. G. Adams: "Nearly all travelers who hoped to publish... were aware of the need to mix dulce with utile."
how to use it:
"Dulcet" is a bit rare, with a formal, literary tone.
We most often apply it to sounds. That is, we talk about dulcet voices, music, tones, notes, songs, words, phrases, etc.
In fact, the phrase "dulcet tones" is so common that you might call it a cliché and avoid it. Or use it only sarcastically: "Ah, the dulcet tones of summertime road construction."
examples:
"Honeynuts are a delicious, relatively new variety of squash, dulcet of flavor and dense of flesh."
— Florence Fabricant, New York Times, 6 November 2020
"'Surely I have the pleasure of speaking to Aleksey Ivanovitch?' he asked, in the most dulcet of voices, comically inappropriate to the circumstances of the case."
— Fyodor Dostoevsky, translated by Frederick Whisaw, Uncle's Dream, 1888
has this page helped you understand "dulcet"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "dulcet" without saying "pleasing to the ear" or "mellifluous."
try it out:
Many of us enjoyed the dulcet voice of Bob Ross, the gentle painter. His speech was soft, soothing, and cadent.
Who else has a dulcet voice? Talk about what it sounds like, and what effect it has on you.
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game for this month is Obits Tidbits!
Check out a tidbit from the obituary of an extraordinary person, and see if you can name who it was. To see the answer, scroll all the way down.
From the Washington Post: "[He] attributed his success as a test pilot to his calm demeanor even in the face of death — 'I'll be back all right. In one piece, or a whole lot of pieces.'"
If you need some hints, highlight the hidden white text below.
This obituary was published on… December 7th, 2020
This person's initials are… C. Y.
review this word:
A. WITTY, SMART, and SAGACIOUS.
B. SOUR, HARSH, and CACOPHONOUS.
C. SHARP, BRIGHT, and FLAVORFUL.
2.
Using what we know about the word "dulcet," we can figure out that the Latin phrase "dulce et decorum est" means "It is _____ and fitting (to die for your country)."
A. bitter
B. sweet
C. noble
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
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36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.
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A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
In Latin, dulce means "sweet."
"Dulcet" traces back through French to the Latin word for "sweet."
Part of speech:
"Dulcet" is a bit rare, with a formal, literary tone.
"Honeynuts are a delicious, relatively new variety of squash, dulcet of flavor and dense of flesh."
Explain the meaning of "dulcet" without saying "pleasing to the ear" or "mellifluous."
Many of us enjoyed the dulcet voice of Bob Ross, the gentle painter. His speech was soft, soothing, and cadent.
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |