mellow

[ mel-oh ]

/ ˈmɛl oʊ /

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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.

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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 SYNONYMS FOR mellow ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR mellow

1 immature, raw, green.

3 harsh.

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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

Words nearby mellow

mellite, mellitum, mellon, mellophone, mellotron, mellow, mellow out, melo, melodeon, melodia, melodic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for mellowness

Mrs. Sawney's tone grew in mellowness as her anger increased.
Mrs. Bindle|Hebert Jenkins
All of which contributes to its healthfulness, mellowness and aroma.
The Boston Cooking-School Magazine (Vol. XV, No. 2, Aug.-Sept., 1910)|Various
Since then, she had forgotten those tones, and thought his voice hard; but now its warmth and mellowness brought back a memory.
Vision House|C. N. Williamson
His delight in the situation has a mellowness far removed from the anxious, ambiguous glee of the urchin.
The Gentle Reader|Samuel McChord Crothers

Not a morsel of it but was full of mellowness, and sweet flavour, and fragrance.
Summer Cruising in the South Seas|Charles Warren Stoddard

British Dictionary definitions for mellowness

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

adjective, mel·low·er, mel·low·est.

verb (used with or without object)

noun

Verb Phrases

QUIZZES

Origin of mellow

SYNONYMS FOR mellow

ANTONYMS FOR mellow

OTHER WORDS FROM mellow

Words nearby mellow

Words related to mellowness

Example sentences from the Web for mellowness

British Dictionary definitions for mellowness

adjective

verb

Derived forms of mellow

Word Origin for mellow