mellifluous
- Having a smooth, rich, sweet sound that is pleasant to listen to.
- More broadly, sweetly flowing in quality — sometimes applied to writing or speech.
In a sentence
- The radio host's mellifluous voice kept listeners tuned in through even the dullest traffic reports.
- She wrote in a mellifluous style that made dense philosophical ideas feel effortless to read.
Usage note. Most commonly applied to voices or music; using it to describe written prose is less standard but fully acceptable and can add a literary register to your writing.
Where it comes from
English mellifluous · entered English 15th c.
From Latin 'mellifluus,' a compound of 'mel' (honey) and 'fluere' (to flow), thus literally meaning 'flowing with honey.' The word entered English in the 15th century, initially used in religious contexts to describe saintly eloquence, and later broadened to describe any pleasingly smooth sound or language. The root 'mel' is cognate with Greek 'meli' (honey) and appears in words like 'mellifluous' and 'marmalade.'