mellow

American  

[mel-oh] / ˈmɛl oʊ /

adjective

mellower, comparative mellowest superlative

1. soft, sweet, and full-flavored from ripeness, as fruit.

   Antonyms:

   green, raw, immature

2. well-matured, as wines.

3. soft and rich, as sound, tones, color, or light.

   Antonyms:

   harsh

4. made gentle and compassionate by age or maturity; softened.

5. friable or loamy, as soil.

6. mildly and pleasantly intoxicated or high.

7. pleasantly agreeable; free from tension, discord, etc..

   a mellow neighborhood.

8. affably relaxed; easygoing; genial.

   a mellow teacher who is very popular with her students.

---

verb (used with or without object)

mellows, present (3rd person singular) mellowed, past participle, past mellowing present participle

1. to make or become mellow.

   Synonyms:

   improve, mature, develop

noun

1. Slang. a state, atmosphere, or mood of ease and gentle relaxation.

verb phrase

1. mellow out

   1. to become detached from worry, strife, stress, etc.; relax.

      After final exams let's go down to the beach and mellow out.

   2. to make more relaxed, agreeable, workable, etc.; soften or smooth.

      Chopin really mellows me out when I'm feeling tense.

mellow British  

/ ˈmɛləʊ /

adjective

1. (esp of fruits) full-flavoured; sweet; ripe

2. (esp of wines) well-matured

3. (esp of colours or sounds) soft or rich

4. kind-hearted, esp through maturity or old age

5. genial, as through the effects of alcohol

6. (of soil) soft and loamy

---

verb

1. to make or become mellow; soften; mature

2. (foll by out) to become calm and relaxed or (esp of a drug) to have a calming or relaxing effect on (someone)

Usage

What does mellow mean? Mellow means soft, sweet, and full of flavor, usually in reference to ripe fruits. Mellow can also mean well matured, especially in reference to wine. Mellow can also mean soft and rich, usually in reference to sound, color, or musical tone. And mellow can describe a mild and pleasant intoxication or high. You’ll also see mellow used in reference to people. A mellow person is usually easy-going and relaxed. If they’ve mellowed over time, they’ve become more relaxed. In slang, mellow means a mood or atmosphere of relaxation. You might hear something like “Don’t harsh my mellow,” meaning “Don’t spoil my good mood.”Example: Luis became much more mellow after they left their stressful job.

Synonym Usage

See ripe.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• mellowness
  noun
• overmellowness
  noun
• overmellow
  adjective
• unmellow
  adjective
• unmellowed
  adjective
• mellowly
  adverb
• overmellowly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Adjectives

• mellower
  comparative
• mellowest
  superlative

Participles

• mellowing
  present
• mellowed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• mellow
  simple
• mellows
  simple
• have mellowed
  perfect
• has mellowed
  perfect
• am mellowing
  progressive
• are mellowing
  progressive
• is mellowing
  progressive
• have been mellowing
  perfect progressive
• has been mellowing
  perfect progressive

Past

• mellowed
  simple
• had mellowed
  perfect
• was mellowing
  progressive
• were mellowing
  progressive
• had been mellowing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will mellow
  simple
• will have mellowed
  perfect
• will be mellowing
  progressive
• will have been mellowing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of mellow

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English mel(o)we, alteration (perhaps by dissimilation, in phrase meruw fruit ) of Middle English meruw, Old English meru “soft”

Explanation

When something becomes mellow, it gets softer or more relaxed. People are often said to mellow with age, meaning their aggressiveness, their sarcasm, and their short temper have given way to a more easygoing, genial manner. Wine and other foods mellow just like people, and can be described as "having mellowed" when they reach a full and pleasing flavor, without sharpness. The laid-back quality of jazz pieces like John Coltrane’s “My Favorite Things” is often described as mellow. Sometimes the musicians who play them are mellow too. When people are slightly and pleasantly intoxicated, they often claim to be feeling mellow, having attained a relaxed and agreeable state without even having to grow old.

Example Sentences

We can hardly allow substantive issues to become more pressing while waiting for Xi to mellow or be replaced.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026

Up top are mellow selections made for sipping soda or soju.

From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026

Over time, "you mellow, build networks and take what you can", often in the private sector.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

He returned to RCA with “Emergence,” a mellow record designed to follow King’s “Tapestry” onto the radio, but that airplay never materialized: Sedaka was still seen as a relic of the early ’60s.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

The app played a mellow set of chimes and a soft voice welcomed them to Student Focus.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

Related Words

• delicate
• savory
• soft
• soothing
• sweet