adj

mellow

MEH-loh

adj

Ripe, soft, and sweet-tasting, without harshness or sharpness — used for fruit, wine, cheese, or other matured food and drink.

"The cheese had aged into a mellow, nutty flavour."

"A mellow red wine goes well with this dish."

Calm, relaxed, and easygoing, especially through age or experience; also used loosely for someone pleasantly drunk or high.

"Her grandfather grew mellow with age, rarely losing his temper anymore."

"After a couple of drinks he was feeling nicely mellow."

verb

To become calmer, softer, or less harsh over time — or to cause something or someone to become that way.

"The old rivalry between the two families has mellowed over the years."

"A splash of cream mellows out the bitterness of the coffee."

noun

A relaxed, comfortable mood or state of mind.

"Don't ruin my mellow with bad news."

How to Use Mellow

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSoft, ripe, and pleasant rather than harsh — used for flavours, sounds, and for people who are calm and relaxed.

Common mistake

"Mellow out" is an informal phrasal verb meaning to relax or calm down — don't use it in formal writing.

Common pairings

a mellow flavour grow mellow mellow out a mellow mood

Word Forms

mellower comparative, more mellow comparative, mellowed past tense, mellows plural, Mellows plural, mellows singular, mellowest superlative, most mellow superlative

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “mellow” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The cheese had aged into a _____, nutty flavour.

Etymology

From Middle English melowe ("ripe, soft, juicy"), likely tracing back to Old English words for ground grain or for something soft and tender — the exact root is debated by etymologists.

Rhymes for mellow

yellow fellow bellow Longfellow Goodfellow

See all rhymes for mellow →