mellifluous

adjective

mel·​lif·​lu·​ous me-ˈli-flə-wəs How to pronounce mellifluous (audio)
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

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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.

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 See all Example Sentences for mellifluous 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of mellifluous was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near mellifluous

Cite this Entry

“Mellifluous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mellifluous. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

mellifluous

adjective
mel·​lif·​lu·​ous me-ˈlif-lə-wəs How to pronounce mellifluous (audio)
mə-
: smoothly flowing
mellifluous speech
mellifluously adverb
mellifluousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on mellifluous

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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