Meaning: Sweet or musical sounding; pleasant to hear
Hindi: मधुर
Synonyms: melodious, harmonious, dulcet, euphonious, sweet
Antonyms: harsh, discordant, grating
Asked in: SSC Steno 2026 T-1 · SSC CGL 2024 T-1
mellifluous in SSC previous-year questions
- SSC Steno 2026 T-1 Spelling
Select the correctly spelt word out of the four alternatives.
Answer & explanation
Answer: A) Mellifluous
Meaning: mellifluous = sweet-sounding, flowing smoothly and pleasantly like honey *(मधुर, कर्णप्रिय)*.
The spelling is held together by the two Latin roots inside it: *mel, mellis* = honey, and *fluere* = to flow.
So it must be melli (double l) + flu + ous — *mel-li-flu-ous*, used of a voice, a speech or music.
Why the others are wrong.
• Melifluous — a single *l*; the honey root is *mell-* *(मधु)*, so the ll cannot be dropped.
• Mellifluas — the adjective ending in English is -ous *(गुणवाचक प्रत्यय)*, as in *famous* and *glorious*, never *-as*.
• Melliflouous — *flou* reverses the *u* and the *o* of *flu-* (from *fluere*, to flow) and adds a syllable that does not exist *(वर्तनी दोष)*.
Word - SSC Steno 2026 T-1 Antonyms
What is the antonym of "Mellifluous"?
Answer & explanation
Answer: A) Harsh
Meaning: mellifluous = sweet-sounding, flowing smoothly like honey *(मधुर, कर्णप्रिय)*, from Latin *mel* (honey) + *fluere* (to flow).
The opposite of a honeyed sound is a grating one.
harsh = rough and unpleasant to the ear *(कर्कश, कठोर)* — the only option that reverses the sense.
Why the others are wrong.
• Melodious = full of melody, tuneful *(सुरीला, संगीतमय)* — a synonym.
• Harmonious = sounding well together, agreeably blended *(सुसंगत, मधुर)* — a synonym.
• Euphonious = pleasant-sounding *(श्रुतिमधुर)*, from Greek *eu* (good) + *phone* (sound) — a synonym, and the near-twin of mellifluous.
Word help.
cacophony = a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds *(कर्कश शोर, कोलाहल)* — the noun t
Examples
- “The singer's mellifluous voice captivated the entire audience.”
mellifluous – questions
What is the meaning of mellifluous in Hindi?
mellifluous means “मधुर” in Hindi. In English: Sweet or musical sounding; pleasant to hear
What are the synonyms of mellifluous?
Synonyms of mellifluous: melodious, harmonious, dulcet, euphonious, sweet.
What is the opposite of mellifluous?
Antonyms of mellifluous: harsh, discordant, grating.
Has mellifluous been asked in SSC exams?
Yes – mellifluous has been asked 2 times in SSC exams: SSC Steno 2026 T-1, SSC CGL 2024 T-1.