mellow

[ mel-oh ]

/ ˈmɛl oʊ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR mellow ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, mel·low·er, mel·low·est.

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

well-matured, as wines.

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

made gentle and compassionate by age or maturity; softened.

friable or loamy, as soil.

mildly and pleasantly intoxicated or high.

pleasantly agreeable; free from tension, discord, etc.: a mellow neighborhood.

affably relaxed; easygoing; genial: a mellow teacher who is very popular with her students.

verb (used with or without object)

to make or become mellow.

noun

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

Verb Phrases

mellow out, Slang.

to become detached from worry, strife, stress, etc.; relax: After final exams let's go down to the beach and mellow out.
to make more relaxed, agreeable, workable, etc.; soften or smooth: Chopin really mellows me out when I'm feeling tense.

RELATED WORDS

developed, matured, ripe

Nearby words

Origin of mellow

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

SYNONYMS FOR mellow

1 See ripe.

9 develop, mature, improve.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR mellow ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR mellow

1 immature, raw, green.

3 harsh.

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Related forms

mel·low·ly, adverbmel·low·ness, nouno·ver·mel·low, adjectiveo·ver·mel·low·ly, adverb

o·ver·mel·low·ness, nounun·mel·low, adjectiveun·mel·lowed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for mellowed

But a decade had passed, and Cosby had mellowed, and when he was offered the prize for a third time in 2009, he accepted.
Why Comedians Still Think Bill Cosby Is a Genius|Mark Whitaker|October 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the glass, the color is mellowed by the oak and is a mossier green.
The Absinthe-Minded Porteños of Buenos Aires|Jeff Campagna|March 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now, at the age of 46, he has been mellowed by an all-access pass to literary America, winning most of the prizes around.
Confessions of a Blasphemer: Sherman Alexie Talks New Book, Indian Humor and More|Jane Ciabattari|October 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST
But for anyone who dreamed that Benedict had mellowed with age, the decision to hang the LCWR out to dry is a rude awakening.
Return of the Rottweiler: Pope Benedict Cracks Down on Women’s Rights|Peter Popham|April 25, 2012|DAILY BEAST

But time and experience have mellowed the 54-year-old Oldman and sharpened his acting.
‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’: Oscar Nominees Gary Oldman and Peter Straughan|Lorenza Muñoz|February 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Something like a reluctant smile, rather rusty from long disuse, mellowed Marilla's grim expression.
Anne Of Green Gables|Lucy Maud Montgomery
From somewhere to the far left drifted the mellowed music of fox-hounds.
The Lighted Match|Charles Neville Buck
Those twenty-odd years—his seniority—had mellowed him, filled him with deep and tender understanding.
The Drums Of Jeopardy|Harold MacGrath
He was chanting the Russian anthem, and his voice, mellowed by the distance, had a strange plaintive effect.
The Shadow of the Czar|John R. Carling
It may be seen, mellowed by age, in the Parma Cathedral to-day.
Genius in Sunshine and Shadow|Maturin Murray Ballou

British Dictionary definitions for mellowed

mellow

/ (ˈmɛləʊ) /

adjective

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

(esp of wines) well-matured

(esp of colours or sounds) soft or rich

kind-hearted, esp through maturity or old age

genial, as through the effects of alcohol

(of soil) soft and loamy

verb

to make or become mellow; soften; mature

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

Derived Formsmellowly, adverbmellowness, noun

Word Origin for mellow

C15: perhaps from Old English meru soft (as through ripeness)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for mellowed (1 of 2)

mellow

adj.

mid-15c., melwe "soft, sweet, juicy" (of ripe fruit), perhaps related to melowe, variant of mele "ground grain" (see meal (2)), influenced by Middle English merow "soft, tender," from Old English mearu. Meaning "slightly drunk" is from 1680s. Mellow yellow "banana peel smoked in an effort to get high" is from 1967. Related: Mellowly; mellowness.

Word Origin and History for mellowed (1 of 2)

mellow

1570s, from mellow (adj.). Related: Mellowed; mellowing.