1
a
of a fruit
: tender and sweet because of ripeness
b
of a wine
: well aged and pleasingly mild
2
a
: made gentle by age or experience
She was a tough and demanding teacher, but she became mellow in her old age.
b
: rich and full but free from garishness or stridency
the mellow tones of an old violin
c
: warmed and relaxed by or as if by liquor
After a few drinks we felt pretty mellow.
e
: laid-back
mellow background music
3
of soil
: having a soft and loamy consistency
mellowly
adverb
mellowness
noun
Examples of mellow in a Sentence
Adjective
The painting captures the mellow light of a summer evening.
This wine is very mellow.
He was in a mellow mood.
She was a tough and demanding teacher, but she became mellower in her old age.
He's a very mellow guy.
After a couple of drinks we all started feeling pretty mellow.
Verb
She was a tough and demanding teacher, but she has mellowed in her old age.
The wine needs time to mellow.
She was a tough and demanding teacher, but old age has mellowed her.
Recent Examples on the Web
Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 27 Feb. 2025
As a public defender, life never was really mellow.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 18 Feb. 2025
Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2025
People have been using milk or cream to mellow the bitter tannins of black tea for centuries.
—Han Zhang, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for mellow
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
The track’s mellow, cha-cha vibe subtly underscores the give-and-take inherent in that interplay, while Flack’s ethereal yet measured vocals indelibly outline the simple little moments that can relight Cupid’s flame.
—Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 27 Feb. 2025
As a public defender, life never was really mellow.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 18 Feb. 2025
Verb
Anointed with unexpected establishment credentials (Queen Elizabeth II named him a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2008), Kureishi was mellowing in the 2010s.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2025
People have been using milk or cream to mellow the bitter tannins of black tea for centuries.
—Han Zhang, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for mellow
Articles Related to mellow
Cite this Entry
“Mellow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mellow. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mellow
1 of 2 adjective
mel·low
ˈmel-ō 
1
a
: tender and sweet because of ripeness
mellow peaches
b
: well aged and pleasingly mild
a mellow wine
2
a
: made gentle by age or experience
developed a mellow disposition from caring for his grandchildren
b
: pleasant sense 1, agreeable
mellow sounds
c
: laid-back
a mellow personality
3
: being soft and crumbly
mellow soil
4
: being clear, full, and pure
spoke in mellow tones
mellowly
adverb
mellowness
noun
mellow
2 of 2 verb
: to make or become mellow
old houses, weather-beaten and mellowed by time
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