mellifluous

[muh-lif-loo-uhs]

adjective

1. sweetly or smoothly flowing; sweet-sounding: mellifluous tones.

   a mellifluous voice;

   mellifluous tones.

   Synonyms: harmonious, dulcet, musical, melodious

2. flowing with honey; sweetened with or as if with honey.

mellifluous

/ mɪˈlɪflʊəs /

adjective

1. (of sounds or utterances) smooth or honeyed; sweet

Other Word Forms

• mellifluously adverb
• mellifluousness noun
• unmellifluous adjective
• unmellifluously adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of mellifluous¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Late Latin mellifluus, equivalent to Latin melli- (stem of mel ) “honey” + -flu(ere) “to flow” + -us adjective suffix ( -ous )

Word History and Origins

Origin of mellifluous¹

C15: from Late Latin mellifluus flowing with honey, from Latin mel honey + fluere to flow

Example Sentences

By 1978, his glossy album “Give Thankx” was influenced by his African travels, and its mellifluous production added the feel of American soul, showing off the power of his voice.

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Blessed with a sweet, mellifluous voice, he began singing at his local church at the age of six.

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Joyce’s words rang out mellifluously at the start of the production, but as the main characters emerged from the reading, some of the musicality of the writing was lost.

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Known for his conversational style and a smooth, mellifluous voice, Marcus is a one-man operation, serving as his own engineer and equipment manager.

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The mellifluous tenor that narrated Dodgers games for generations of Spanish-language listeners hasn’t weakened.

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