dolce far niente means sheer indulgent relaxation and blissful laziness, the enjoyment of idleness. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 90 out of 100.
dolce far niente is pronounced /ˌdɒltʃeɪ ˌfɑː nɪˈɛnteɪ/.
Why “dolce far niente” is a great word
DOLCE FAR NIENTE — [Noun] The pleasant and indulgent relaxation derived from the conscious cultivation of idleness. Borrowed from Italian dolce far niente, literally "sweet doing nothing," from Latin dulcis ("sweet") and facere ("to do, make") with nihil ("nothing"). Unlike 'leisure,' which suggests time for chosen activity, or 'languor,' which implies a weary, oppressive inertia, dolce far niente celebrates the active cultivation of blissful passivity. It is the honeyed warmth of sun on a stone wall you have no intention of building upon, the profound contentment of watching a boat drift on a current without any desire to steer, and the conscious surrender to dust motes dancing in a slanted afternoon light—a gentle, resonant rebuttal to the tyranny of utility.
noun
- 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!”