/ ˈmeləʊ; NAmE -loʊ/ adjective , verb
■ adjective ( mel·low·er , mel·low·est )
1.
( of colour or sound ) soft, rich and pleasant :
mellow autumn colours
Mellow music and lighting helped to create the right atmosphere.
2.
( of a taste or flavour ) smooth and pleasant :
a mellow, fruity wine
3.
( of people ) calm, gentle and reasonable because of age or experience :
Dad's certainly grown mellower with age.
4.
( informal ) ( of people ) relaxed, calm and happy, especially after drinking alcohol :
After two glasses of wine, I was feeling mellow.
■ verb
1.
to become or make sb become less extreme in behaviour, etc., especially as a result of growing older :
[ v ]
She had mellowed a great deal since their days at college.
[ vn ]
A period spent working abroad had done nothing to mellow him.
2.
[ v , vn ] to become, or make a colour become less bright, especially over a period of time
3.
[ v , vn ] to develop or make wine develop a pleasant and less bitter taste over a period of time
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PHRASAL VERBS
- mellow out
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (in the sense ripe, sweet, and juicy ): perhaps from attributive use of Old English melu , melw- (see meal ground grain or pulses ). The verb dates from the late 16th cent.