mellow

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈmɛloʊ/ UK /ˈmɛləʊ/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like mallow /ɛ/ vs /æ/ Sounds like marrow /l/ vs /r/

Meanings

1

adj
soft, rich, and pleasantly smooth; relaxed and genial

The wine had grown mellow with years in the cellar.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · soft, rich, and pleasantly... soft smooth rich genial relaxed mature

Opposites

harsh sharp tense unripe bitter

Word family

Derived forms mellowlymellownessmellowed

Appears in

Proverbs (1)

See all

If it's yellow, let it mellow; if it's brown, flush it down

Etymology

Of uncertain origin, perhaps from Middle English melowe, possibly a variant of merow ('soft, tender') or influenced by Old English mearu ('soft') and mela ('meal'). Originally of ripe, soft fruit, hence soft, rich, and genial.

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# mellow

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈmɛloʊ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈmɛləʊ/

## Meanings
1. soft, rich, and pleasantly smooth; relaxed and genial

## Examples
- The wine had grown mellow with years in the cellar.

## Synonyms
- soft
- smooth
- rich
- genial
- relaxed
- mature

## Antonyms
- harsh
- sharp
- tense
- unripe
- bitter

## Derived Forms
- mellowly
- mellowness
- mellowed

## Etymology
Of uncertain origin, perhaps from Middle English melowe, possibly a variant of merow ('soft, tender') or influenced by Old English mearu ('soft') and mela ('meal'). Originally of ripe, soft fruit, hence soft, rich, and genial.

## AI Etymology
Mellow is of uncertain origin, perhaps from Middle English melowe, possibly a variant of merow ('soft, tender') or influenced by Old English mearu ('soft') and mela ('meal'). Originally of ripe, soft fruit, hence soft, rich, and genial. Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. Its deeper history remains uncertain, with proposed links left as possibilities rather than a single settled derivation. The current sense covers soft, rich, and pleasantly smooth; relaxed and genial. The wider family includes derived forms such as mellowly, mellowness, and mellowed.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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