English

Adjective

mellifluous ‎(comparative more mellifluous, superlative most mellifluous)

1. Flowing like honey.
2. Sweet, smooth and musical; pleasant to hear (generally used of a person's voice, tone or writing style).
   • 1915, W.S. Maugham, "Of Human Bondage":

     "You should read Spanish," he said. "It is a noble tongue. It has not the mellifluousness of Italian, Italian is the language of tenors and organ-grinders, but it has grandeur: it does not ripple like a brook in a garden, but it surges tumultuous like a mighty river in flood."

Usage notes

Mellifluous (like honey) is more likely to be applied to a person’s writing style while dulcet ‎(“sweet”) would only be appropriate for describing audible tone, voice or tenor.

Synonyms

• (Sweet and smooth style): birdsweet, dulcet, euphonious, sweet-flowing

Derived terms

• mellifluousness

Related terms

• melliloquent
• superfluous

Translations