mellifluous

adjective

mel·​lif·​lu·​ous me-ˈli-flə-wəs 

mə-

1

: having a smooth rich flow

a mellifluous voice

2

: filled with something (such as honey) that sweetens

mellifluous confections

mellifluously adverb

mellifluousness noun

Did you know?

Use Mellifluous to Describe Your Dinner Date

Have a bee in your bonnet to learn some mellifluous facts? Sweet—we won’t make you comb for them. Mellifluous comes from two Latin roots: the noun mel, meaning “honey,” and the verb fluere, meaning “to flow.” These linguistic components flowed smoothly together into the Late Latin word mellifluus, then continued on into the Middle English word mellyfluous, before crystallizing into the adjective we employ today. As it has for centuries, mellifluous typically and figuratively describes sound, and is often at the tip of the tongues of writers who proclaim that a voice or melody is smooth like molasses (molasses, like mellifluous, is a descendant of the Latin mel). But mellifluous can also be used to describe edibles and potables, such as wine, with a pronounced note of sweetness.

Synonyms

• euphonious
• lyric
• lyrical
• mellifluent
• mellow
• melodic
• melodious
• musical

Examples of mellifluous in a Sentence

a rich, mellifluous voice that gets her a lot of work in radio and TV commercials

Recent Examples on the Web

The British actor finds the humor and sensitivity in his lustful swain, and his mellifluous voice is perfectly matched to Shakespeare’s prose. —Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024

The Stage Arrangement Looks Otherworldly Powered by mellifluous melodies and surrealistic soundscapes fit for video games, Gunna is all about immersion, and his stage set here only accentuated the effect. —Peter A. Berry, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2024

With her luxurious blond curls, coquettish demeanor and mellifluous voice, Carpenter, 25, fills any pop star void with polished songs infused with a speck of tang. —Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 6 Oct. 2024

As the rest of the auto industry leans into the efficiencies and emissions reductions of turbocharging and electrification, Ferrari’s thirsty, if mellifluous, V12 is an anachronism, a kind of vaffanculo to climate climate crises. —Brett Berk, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English mellyfluous, from Late Latin mellifluus, from Latin mell-, mel honey + fluere to flow; akin to Goth milith honey, Greek melit-, meli

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

mellifluous

adjective

mel·​lif·​lu·​ous me-ˈlif-lə-wəs 

mə-

: smoothly flowing

mellifluous speech

mellifluously adverb

mellifluousness noun