mellow

[ mel-oh ]

/ ˈmɛl oʊ /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: mellow / mellowed / mellowing / mellowness 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.

OTHER WORDS FOR mellow

9 develop, mature, improve.

See synonyms for mellow on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR mellow

1 immature, raw, green.

3 harsh.

See antonyms for mellow on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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”

synonym study for mellow

1. See ripe.

OTHER WORDS FROM mellow

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. 2022

How to use mellow in a sentence

It seems to need the slanting rays of the evening sun to give it the right mellowness and tenderness, or the right perspective.
A Year in the Fields|John Burroughs
Of course, you want to be nice and mellow with the trade, but always remember that mellowness carried too far becomes rottenness.
Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son|George Horace Lorimer
The day was as mild as autumn, the winter sun like honey in its mellowness; a soft haze blurred the outline of the upper bridge.
The Dwelling Place of Light, Complete|Winston Churchill
At the first words of the young lawyer, uttered in a voice of winning mellowness, the public forgot the facts in the case.
David Dunne|Belle Kanaris Maniates

His presence is indicated rather by a mellowness overspreading and enriching the picture, than by any brightness or glare.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. IX.--February, 1851.--Vol. II.|Various

British Dictionary definitions for mellow

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 forms of mellow

mellowly, 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

mellow

OTHER WORDS FOR mellow

OPPOSITES FOR mellow

Origin of mellow

synonym study for mellow

OTHER WORDS FROM mellow

Words related to mellow

How to use mellow in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mellow

Derived forms of mellow

Word Origin for mellow