mollezza
Italian
Etymology
Inherited from Latin mollitia. Doublet of mollizia, which was borrowed. By surface analysis, molle + -ezza.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /molˈlet.t͡sa/
- Rhymes: -ettsa
- Hyphenation: mol‧léz‧za
Noun
mollezza f (plural mollezze)
- (literally, rare) softness, flabbiness
- (figuratively) weakness
- (figuratively, usually in the plural) luxury
- (figuratively, rare) softness, gentleness, sweetness
- eravamo da qualche tempo silenziosi, come vinti dalla mollezza e dalla dolcezza dell’aria estiva
- we'd been silent for some time, as if conquered by the gentleness and the sweetness of the summer wind
- (figuratively, rare) suppleness
- vedeva di lontano […] quella persona gentil che si moveva con languida mollezza sotto il grande ombrellino rosso
- he saw from afar that gentle person moving with languid suppleness under the large red umbrella
Related terms
- molla
- molle
- rammollire
Further reading
- mollezza in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana