Meaning & use
mellifluous
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Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Smooth, rich and pleasant to hear, as a voice, tune or speech with a flowing, honey-like quality.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: a mellifluous voice, her tone was mellifluous.
Patterns
- a mellifluous voice
The radio host had a mellifluous voice that calmed listeners.
A mellifluous melody drifted from the cello.
Her mellifluous reading of the poem silenced the room.
Word forms
| comparative | more mellifluous |
|---|---|
| superlative | most mellifluous |
Common combinations
- mellifluous voice
- The narrator's mellifluous voice made the audiobook a pleasure.
- mellifluous tones
- He spoke in mellifluous tones that soothed the crowd.
- mellifluous melody
- A mellifluous melody floated through the garden.
- mellifluous prose
- Critics praised the mellifluous prose of her novel.
- mellifluous language
- Italian is often called a mellifluous language.
Synonyms and how they differ
- melodious
- It simply means tuneful, while mellifluous suggests a smooth, flowing richness.
- dulcet
- It is more old-fashioned and stresses sweetness, often used humorously.
- silvery
- It suggests a light, clear ringing quality rather than warm smoothness.
- honeyed
- It is more figurative and can hint at insincere flattery.
Opposites
Word family
- mellifluously adverb
- in a smooth, sweet-sounding way
- mellifluousness noun
- the quality of sounding smooth and sweet
- mellifluence noun
- a smooth, sweet flow of sound
Commonly confused: mellifluous or mellow?
mellifluous vs mellow
Mellow describes a soft, relaxed quality in sound, taste or mood; mellifluous is specifically about a flowing, sweet sound.
Practice
Which phrase best describes a singer whose voice is smooth and sweet to hear?
Choose one answer.
Mellifluous means sweet and smooth-sounding. Grating and hoarse are unpleasant, and monotone means unvaried.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mellifluous”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.