mellower; mellowest
1
: pleasantly rich, full, or soft : not harsh, bright, or irritating
The painting captures the mellow light of a summer evening.
mellow music
a mellow golden color
2
: having a pleasing rich flavor that develops over time
This wine is very mellow.
a mellow cheese
3
a
: very calm and relaxed
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.
a mellow crowd
b
informal
: relaxed from drinking alcohol or using drugs
After a couple of drinks we all started feeling pretty mellow.
mellows; mellowed; mellowing
: to become or to cause (someone or something) to become less harsh, irritating, nervous, etc.
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.
Time mellowed [=softened] their hard feelings.
Cite this Entry
“Mellow.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/mellow. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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