douceur de vivren.
/duːˈsəː də ˈviːvr(ə)/, U.S. /duˈsər də ˈvivrə/ A way of life characterized by pleasure, comfort, and ease. Cf. douceur de la vie n., dolce vita n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > behaviour > way of life > [noun] > specific
sheltered life1888
douceur de vivre1907
lifestyle1915
Lebensform1925
douceur de la vie1941
good life1954
alternative lifestyle1968
slow lane1972
champagne lifestyle1973
1877 Temple Bar Aug. 462 Talleyrand used to say those who were not in society before 1789 did not know ‘La douceur de vivre’.]
1907 Edinb. Rev. Apr. 484 Something of that douceur de vivre which Talleyrand said the world had lost with the Monarchy still lingered in the presence of this amiable inventor.
1938 Harper's Bazaar May 112/3 Don't forget to ask..for a glass of some Dutch liqueur—real Bols or real Curaçao—and you will see that the Dutch, too, understand the douceur de vivre.
1974 L. Auchincloss Partners ix. 162 If it hadn't been for his love of the good life—the douceur de vivre, as he always called it—he might have been another Flaubert.
2006 M. Guiliano French Women for All Seasons 453 One, Edith, was stunning: slim, full of energy.., and emanating an air of serenity and douceur de vivre.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2018; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1907