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
Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
This Arkansas Cheese Dip is rich, creamy, and ultra-smooth, with a mellow cheesiness from Velveeta that's balanced by the mild melt of Monterey Jack.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 22 Oct. 2025
Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
But unlike most metalheads who mellow with age, the woman likely to be Japan’s next prime minister is still an enthusiast.
—Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
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
Economists expect the September gain to be more mellow; however, certain categories likely will highlight pain points.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
This Arkansas Cheese Dip is rich, creamy, and ultra-smooth, with a mellow cheesiness from Velveeta that's balanced by the mild melt of Monterey Jack.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
That earthy lemongrass flavor predominates, and the cheese somewhat mellows the spice.
—Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
But unlike most metalheads who mellow with age, the woman likely to be Japan’s next prime minister is still an enthusiast.
—Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 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 30 Oct. 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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