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Meaning & use

dulcet

adjective·Advancedliterary

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UK/ˈdʌlsɪt/
US/ˈdʌlsət/

Meanings

  1. adjectivebefore a nounliterary

    Sweet and soothing to listen to, used mainly for voices, music or other gentle sounds.

    Grammar: Usually comes before the noun it describes: dulcet tones.

    Patterns

    • dulcet tones
    • dulcet voice

    The nurse spoke in dulcet tones that calmed the child.

    The room filled with the dulcet sound of a harp.

    Her dulcet voice drifted across the garden.

  2. adjectivebefore a nounhumorousinformal

    Used ironically to describe a voice or noise that is in fact loud or unpleasant.

    Grammar: The speaker means the opposite of the literal word, so the joke depends on tone.

    Patterns

    • the dulcet tones of someone

    I woke to the dulcet tones of my neighbor's lawn mower.

    We were greeted by the dulcet tones of the coach shouting.

    The dulcet sound of the alarm clock started my day.

Common combinations

dulcet tones
The dulcet tones of the radio presenter lulled me to sleep.
dulcet voice
She sang in a dulcet voice.
dulcet melody
A dulcet melody floated from the window.
dulcet sound
The dulcet sound of a flute came from the hall.
dulcet strains
Dulcet strains of a violin filled the church.

Synonyms and how they differ

melodious
Melodious focuses on pleasant tune and musical quality, whereas dulcet is more about sweetness and softness.
mellifluous
Mellifluous suggests smooth, flowing richness and sounds even more formal than dulcet.
honeyed
Honeyed suggests a sweet, sometimes flattering voice, whereas dulcet just means pleasantly sweet.
soothing
Soothing is a plain word meaning calming, while dulcet is more poetic and applies only to sounds.

Opposites

harshgratingraucous

Word family

dulcimer noun
a stringed instrument played with small hammers; its name comes from the same Latin root meaning sweet
dulcify verb
to make sweeter or milder (rare)
dulcitude noun
sweetness (rare)

Commonly confused: dulcet or dolce?

dulcet vs dolce

Dolce is the Italian musical direction meaning sweetly, while dulcet is the English adjective for a sweet-sounding voice or tune.

Practice

'Good morning,' she said in her ___ tones, and the whole classroom relaxed.

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