Standard Lemma guide

dulcet

adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK, US: /ˈdʌl.sɪt/
  • UK, US: /ˈdʌl.sət/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D AH1 L S AH0 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Sweet, especially when describing voice or tones; melodious.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Matthew "MattKC" Wong (actor) (2024), 6s from the start, in I ported THOUSANDS of apps to Windows 95: “Ah, yes, the dulcet tones of Windows 95.”

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: birdsweet, mellifluous

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Generally pleasing; agreeable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: agreeable, soothing

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Sweet to the taste.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sugary, sweet

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

pleasing to the ear

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the dulcet tones of the cello

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: honeyed, mellifluous, mellisonant, sweet

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

extremely pleasant in a gentle way

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the most dulcet swimming on the most beautiful and remote beaches

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English doucet, from Old French doucet, from dulz, dulce (“sweet, pleasant”) + diminutive -et, from Latin dulcis (“sweet, pleasant”). Cognate with Spanish dulce, French doux, Italian dolce, Portuguese doce, and Romanian dulce. Doublet of dolcetto and doucet.

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: عَذْب (ʕaḏb) — sweet (voice, tone), melodious
  • Bulgarian: мелодичен (melodičen) — sweet (voice, tone), melodious
  • Finnish: sointuva — sweet (voice, tone), melodious
  • Finnish: suloinen — sweet (voice, tone), melodious
  • French: suave — sweet (voice, tone), melodious
  • German: wohlklingend — sweet (voice, tone), melodious
  • German: melodisch — sweet (voice, tone), melodious
  • German: lieblich — sweet (voice, tone), melodious
  • Greek: τραγουδιστός (tragoudistós) — sweet (voice, tone), melodious
  • Russian: мелодичный (melodičnyj) — sweet (voice, tone), melodious
  • Russian: приятный (prijatnyj) — sweet (voice, tone), melodious
  • Spanish: dulce — sweet (voice, tone), melodious
  • Swedish: ljuv — sweet (voice, tone), melodious
  • Swedish: smäktande — sweet (voice, tone), melodious
  • Telugu: శ్రావ్యమైన (śrāvyamaina) — sweet (voice, tone), melodious
  • Bulgarian: приятен (prijaten) — generally pleasing, soothing, agreeable
  • Finnish: miellyttävä — generally pleasing, soothing, agreeable
  • Finnish: suloinen — generally pleasing, soothing, agreeable
  • German: angenehm — generally pleasing, soothing, agreeable
  • German: beruhigend — generally pleasing, soothing, agreeable
  • German: lind — generally pleasing, soothing, agreeable
  • Spanish: dulce — generally pleasing, soothing, agreeable
  • Swedish: ljuv — generally pleasing, soothing, agreeable
  • Bulgarian: сладък (sladǎk) — sweet to the taste
  • Finnish: makea — sweet to the taste
  • Finnish: suloinen — sweet to the taste
  • German: lieblich — sweet to the taste
  • German: süß — sweet to the taste
  • German: angenehm — sweet to the taste
  • Spanish: dulce — sweet to the taste