Mellow — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˈme-(ˌ)lō/ mel·low

Meaning & Definition of Mellow

Mellow (adjective)

  1. tender and sweet because of ripeness
  2. well aged and pleasingly mild
  3. made gentle by age or experience

Mellow (verb)

  1. to make mellow
  2. to become mellow —often used with out

Mellow (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having a pleasantly flowing quality suggestive of music

    "the mellow tones of an old violin"

    similar: euphonious, lyric, lyrical, mellifluent, mellifluous, melodic, melodious, musical
    related: dulcet, golden, sweet
    opposite: unlyrical
    near: disconnected, staccato, discordant, dissonant, grating, harsh, inharmonious, jarring, strident, unmelodious, unmusical

  2. not harsh or stern especially in nature or effect

    "a teacher with a mellow approach to classroom discipline"

    "mellow soaps"

    similar: balmy, benign, bland, delicate, gentle, light, mild, nonabrasive, soft, soothing, tender
    related: calm, pacific, peaceful, placid, quiet, serene, tranquil, clement, compassionate, easy, lenient, merciful, buffering, cushioning, emollient, softening, sleek, slick, smooth
    opposite: abrasive, caustic, coarse, hard, harsh, rough, scathing, stern, ungentle
    near: exquisite, fierce, intense, powerful, severe, forceful, forcible, savage, violent, roughened, rugged, strong, abrading, irritating, roughening, grim, gruff, rude, stiff, heavy-handed, oppressive, pitiless, tyrannical

  3. having an easygoing and pleasing manner especially in social situations

    "mellow and unflappable, the office manager greatly contributes to the work environment"

    similar: affable, agreeable, amiable, genial, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, nice, pleasant, sweet, well-disposed
    related: amicable, clever (dialect), cordial, friendly, neighborly, benign, gentle, kind, cheerful, cheery, glad (archaic), sunny, companionable, conversable, sociable, civil, considerate, courteous, polite, thoughtful, accommodating, amenable, obliging, attractive, delightful, enjoyable, likable
    opposite: disagreeable, ill-natured, ill-tempered, unamiable, ungenial, ungracious, unpleasant
    near: boorish, discourteous, ill-mannered, impolite, inconsiderate, rude, surly, uncivil, unkind, unmannerly, unsociable, bearish, bilious, cantankerous, choleric, churlish, crabby, cranky, dyspeptic, fussy, grouchy, grumpy, ill-humored, irascible, irritable, peevish, petulant, quick-tempered, snappish, testy, touchy, argumentative, contentious, contrary, ornery, querulous, unappealing, unattractive, sour, vinegary

  4. having a relaxed, casual manner

    "a mellow crowd sat on the grass and enjoyed the music coming from the band shell"

    similar: affable, breezy, devil-may-care, easygoing, happy-go-lucky, laid-back, low-pressure
    related: carefree, casual, dégagé, lackadaisical, nonchalant, unaffected, unconcerned, unfussy, unperturbed, untroubled, unworried, familiar, homey, informal, flexible, lax, lenient, permissive, pliable, pliant, soft, accessible, approachable, imperturbable, nerveless, unflappable, unshakable, amicable, companionable, comradely, cordial, genial, hail-fellow-well-met, hearty, neighborly, warm, warmhearted
    opposite: high-strung, uptight
    near: ceremonious, decorous, formal, rigid, strict, anxious, bothered, distressed, worried, jittery, jumpy, nervous, skittish, tense

Mellow (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in soften

    similar: soften, age, develop, grow, grow up, mature, progress, ripen, bloom, blossom, burgeon, flourish, flower, open, unfold, advance, evolve, get along, get on, gray
    opposite: decay, decline, degenerate, deteriorate, sink, worsen, droop, dry, fade, flag, sag, shrivel, wane, waste (away), weaken, wilt, wither, regress, retrogress, revert, backslide, lapse, return

Related Entry: Mellow (out) (verb)

Mellow (out) is a different word from Mellow. The synonyms below are for mellow (out), not for mellow.

  1. to get rid of nervous tension or anxiety

    "I'm going to need to mellow out when this stressful week is finally at an end"

    similar: chill, chill out (slang), de-stress, decompress, loosen up, relax, unwind, wind down, hang loose
    related: unbend, bask, kick back, loll, lounge, repose, rest, bum, dally, dawdle, dillydally, drone, footle, goof (off), hack (around), hang (around or out), idle, laze, loaf, vegetate, veg out, zone out, alleviate, comfort, ease, relieve, calm, compose, cool, quiet, settle
    opposite: tense (up)

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Mellow

The most common words with a similar meaning to Mellow:

euphonious, lyric, lyrical, mellifluent, mellifluous, melodic, melodious, musical, balmy, benign, bland, delicate, gentle, light, mild, nonabrasive, soft, soothing, tender, affable, agreeable, amiable, genial, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, nice, pleasant, sweet, well-disposed, breezy, devil-may-care, easygoing, happy-go-lucky, laid-back, low-pressure, soften, age, develop, grow

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Mellow

Words with the opposite meaning of Mellow:

unlyrical, abrasive, caustic, coarse, hard, harsh, rough, scathing, stern, ungentle, disagreeable, ill-natured, ill-tempered, unamiable, ungenial, ungracious, unpleasant, high-strung, uptight, decay, decline, degenerate, deteriorate, sink, worsen, droop, dry, fade, flag, sag

Related Words for Mellow

dulcet, golden, calm, pacific, peaceful, placid, quiet, serene, tranquil, clement, compassionate, easy, lenient, merciful, buffering, cushioning, emollient, softening, sleek, slick, smooth, amicable, clever, cordial, friendly, neighborly, kind, cheerful, cheery, glad

Near Antonyms of Mellow

disconnected, staccato, discordant, dissonant, grating, inharmonious, jarring, strident, unmelodious, unmusical, exquisite, fierce, intense, powerful, severe, forceful, forcible, savage, violent, roughened, rugged, strong, abrading, irritating, roughening, grim, gruff, rude, stiff, heavy-handed

Word Forms of Mellow

Inflections: mellowed, mellowing, mellows

Derived words: mellowly (adverb), mellowness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Mellow

Middle English melowe

First known use: 15th century

Words & Phrases Containing Mellow

mellow out

Frequently Asked Questions about Mellow

What does "Mellow" mean?

"Mellow" means tender and sweet because of ripeness. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: tender and sweet because of ripeness. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Mellow"?

Other words for "Mellow" include euphonious, lyric, lyrical, mellifluent, mellifluous, melodic, melodious and musical. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Mellow" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Mellow"?

There are 132 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Mellow". Common alternatives include euphonious, lyric, lyrical, mellifluent, mellifluous, melodic, melodious, musical, balmy and benign.

What is the opposite of "Mellow"?

Antonyms of "Mellow" include unlyrical, abrasive, caustic, coarse, hard, harsh, rough and scathing. Near antonyms include disconnected, staccato, discordant and dissonant.

How do you use "Mellow" in a sentence?

Examples of "Mellow" in a sentence: "the mellow tones of an old violin"; "a teacher with a mellow approach to classroom discipline"; "mellow soaps".

Is "Mellow" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Mellow" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Mellow"?

"Mellow" is pronounced /ˈme-(ˌ)lō/ and divided into syllables as mel·low.

What is the origin of the word "Mellow"?

"Mellow" comes from Middle English melowe. First known use: 15th century.