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
Betsy Andrews, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Apr. 2025
The Animal Collective member’s new album, Sinister Grift, is the perfect mellow psychedelia for a sunny Pasadena afternoon.
—Dan Reilly, Vulture, 9 Apr. 2025
Michele Amabile Angermiller, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2025
An Indian summer mellowed the high country of southwestern New Mexico.
—Percy Brown, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mellow
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Adjective
An eight-month-old Gruyère is mellow with a caramel aroma.
—Betsy Andrews, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Apr. 2025
The Animal Collective member’s new album, Sinister Grift, is the perfect mellow psychedelia for a sunny Pasadena afternoon.
—Dan Reilly, Vulture, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
It’s been three decades since Melrose Place debuted on Fox — and Mondays haven’t mellowed one bit.
—Michele Amabile Angermiller, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2025
An Indian summer mellowed the high country of southwestern New Mexico.
—Percy Brown, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mellow
Cite this Entry
“Mellow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mellow. Accessed 21 Apr. 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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