douceur

Meaning

1. (countable, uncountable) Sweetness of manner: agreeableness, gentleness.
2. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) Sweet speech: a compliment.
3. (countable, uncountable) A sweetener: a gift offered to sweeten another's attitude, a tip or bribe.
4. (UK, countable, uncountable) A tax break provided as an inducement to sell valuable items (especially art) to public collections rather than on the open market.

Synonyms

adoptability

amenity

amiability

bribe

gentleness

gratuity

pleasantness

tip

agreemony

Translations

amenitat

Annehmlichkeit

angenehme Lage

αβρότητα

commodités

amenità

gradevolezza

amoenitas

dulcedo

dulcitudo

suavitas

behaaglijkheid

voorziening

faciliteit

steekpenning

Etymology

Cognate with Middle English: -

In summary

Borrowed from French douceur (“sweetness”), from Old French dolçor, dulcur, etc., from Latin dulcōr + -em, from dulcis (“sweet”). Naturalized in Middle English as douceoure, dousour but treated as a French loanword from the 17th century onward. Doublet of dulcour.