1
as in melodic
having a pleasantly flowing quality suggestive of music
the mellow tones of an old violin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gentle
not harsh or stern especially in nature or effect
a teacher with a mellow approach to classroom discipline mellow soaps
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pleasant
having an easygoing and pleasing manner especially in social situations
mellow and unflappable, the office manager greatly contributes to the work environment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in unaffected
having a relaxed, casual manner
a mellow crowd sat on the grass and enjoyed the music coming from the band shell
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to mature
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mellow
Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 4 June 2026
The overall impact of the mellow lighting, the color scheme, the organic design, and natural materials is tremendously soothing.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Karl Vick, Time, 28 Feb. 2026
The British public may also be starting to mellow on China.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mellow
Adjective
There’s no place like home on Kurt Vile’s new album, a mellow but poignant consideration of the tension between life as a working musician and a family man.
—Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 4 June 2026
The overall impact of the mellow lighting, the color scheme, the organic design, and natural materials is tremendously soothing.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Verb
The years did not mellow Ali Khamenei.
—Karl Vick, Time, 28 Feb. 2026
The British public may also be starting to mellow on China.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mellow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mellow
Adjective
-
On the basketball court, Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler has carved a 14-year career by gliding through space with the melodic flow of an orchestra.—
Rachel Davies,
Architectural Digest,
12 June 2026
-
There has never quite been a critical or scholarly consensus about them, but Bellini, whose music is suspended somewhere between Rossini’s precise brilliance and Donizetti’s rhetorical force, can move audiences with his melodic facility.—
Arya Roshanian,
The New York Review of Books,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
Sarnoski’s version likewise recasts the female character as a benevolent force, and is largely stripped of romance — though permits itself a streak of sentimentality in a subplot concerning the grizzled outlaw’s gentle bond with a young girl.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
11 June 2026
-
The research is clear that a familiar, gentle fragrance can slow breathing, soften stress and turn a room into a memory.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
And then the 1970s British folk rock gives way to a less pleasant auditory landscape, as the hum appears, bringing on headaches and nosebleeds and affecting her concentration and mood, her work and family.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
-
There's the pleasant experience of interacting with them.—
Gili Malinsky,
CNBC,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Projects that were already approved will continue unaffected by the moratorium.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 2026
-
Penn Station trains remain unaffected Train service at Penn Station will be operating as normal, so Amtrak, LIRR and NJ Transit riders shouldn't be affected.—
Ali Bauman,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Additional funds will support later-stage chip procurement as technologies mature.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
8 June 2026
-
The multilingual avatar can advise on what to do when your bank certificates of deposit are maturing, for example, or how to manage your children’s college fund.—
Meg Short,
Fortune,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
Jobim and Regina’s alchemical duet lives in the pantheon of great jazz performances, but even on paper, the song is a masterwork of lyrical and compositional synergy.—
Lily Goldberg,
Pitchfork,
13 June 2026
-
Paired with building piano chords and a non-stop lyrical delivery, the listener gets the feeling that Rodrigo is hurtling towards something — whether that something is good or bad remains to be seen.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
The set comes in over 10 colors, including a summer-ready coral and soothing sage green.—
Better Homes & Gardens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 June 2026
-
There’s a cosmic irony in referencing Yoshimura, whose soothing compositions were famously commissioned to accompany showrooms for model homes in Japan in the 1980s and have since become synonymous with domestic comfort.—
Harry Thorfinn-George,
Pitchfork,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Cultural values such as achieving harmony between cultures; and slow, gracious [economic] growth.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
13 June 2026
-
Even in old age, Pinkie remained a gracious host.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mellow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mellow. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
