I. mel ‧ low 1 /ˈmeləʊ $ -loʊ/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Origin: Perhaps from Old English melu ; ⇨ ↑ meal ]
1 . NOT BRIGHT a mellow colour or light looks soft, warm, and not too bright:
the mellow golden light of early evening
2 . NOT LOUD OR HARSH a mellow sound is pleasant and smooth:
a warm, mellow voice
3 . NOT STRONG IN FLAVOUR mellow wine or fruit has a smooth pleasant taste:
its smooth, mellow flavour
4 . NOT STRICT someone who is mellow is gentle and calm and does not criticize other people, because they have a lot of experience of life
5 . RELAXED if you feel mellow, you feel calm and relaxed, especially after drinking alcohol
—mellowness noun [uncountable]
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THESAURUS
▪ calm not getting angry, nervous, or upset, even in a difficult situation:
We’ll talk about this later when you’re feeling calmer.
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Everyone praised Douglas for the calm way in which he handled the situation.
▪ relaxed not worried about anything, especially so that people feel comfortable:
Looking relaxed and confident, the president answered questions from the press.
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There was a relaxed atmosphere.
▪ chilled-out ( also chilled ) informal very relaxed and not worried – used especially by young people:
I’m much more chilled-out about the whole thing this year.
▪ laid-back informal someone who is laid-back is always relaxed and never seems to get worried or annoyed about anything:
I like his laid-back attitude to life.
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My parents are pretty laid-back and don’t mind me staying out late.
▪ mellow informal relaxed, friendly, and happy, especially after drinking alcohol:
After a few drinks, everyone was pretty mellow.
▪ cool informal staying calm and not showing your emotions, especially when other people are getting excited or angry:
He is the kind of player who always manages to stay cool, even under pressure.
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She was as cool as a cucumber (=very cool) .
▪ keep your head to manage to stay calm and behave in a sensible way in a difficult or frightening situation:
In this job you need to be good at keeping your head in a crisis.
II. mellow 2 BrE AmE verb [intransitive and transitive]
1 . if someone mellows or is mellowed, they become gentler and more sympathetic:
Paul’s certainly mellowed over the years.
Two pints of beer had mellowed my father.
2 . if colours mellow or are mellowed, they begin to look warm and soft:
The bricks had mellowed to a soft red.
3 . if wine mellows or is mellowed, its taste becomes smoother
mellow (somebody) out phrasal verb American English informal
to become relaxed and calm, or to make someone like this