grating vs mellow

grating

adj
  • Harsh and unpleasant. 

  • Abrasive; tending to annoy. 

noun
  • An optical system of close equidistant and parallel lines or bars, especially lines ruled on a polished surface, used for producing spectra by diffraction. 

  • The strong wooden lattice used to cover a hatch, admitting light and air; also, a movable lattice used for the flooring of boats. 

  • A barrier that has parallel or crossed bars blocking a passage but admitting air. 

  • A frame of iron bars to hold a fire. 

  • The sound made by something that grates against something else. 

  • The loose material that comes from something being grated. 

mellow

adj
  • Soft and easily penetrated or worked; not hard or rigid; loamy. 

  • Pleasantly high or stoned, and relaxed after taking drugs; also, of drugs: slightly intoxicating and tending to produce such effects. 

  • Fruitful and warm. 

  • Matured and smooth, and not acidic, harsh, or sharp. 

  • Pleasing in some way; excellent, fantastic, great. 

  • Cheerful, genial, jovial, merry; also, easygoing, laid-back, relaxed. 

  • Soft or tender by reason of ripeness; having a tender pulp. 

  • Mature; of crops: ready to be harvested; ripe. 

  • Not coarse, brash, harsh, or rough; delicate, rich, soft, subdued. 

  • Well-matured from age or experience; not impetuous or impulsive; calm, dignified, gentle. 

  • Drunk, intoxicated; especially slightly or pleasantly so, or to an extent that makes one cheerful and friendly. 

verb
  • To cause (food or drink, for example, cheese or wine, or its flavour) to become matured and smooth, and not acidic, harsh, or sharp. 

  • To reduce or remove the harshness or roughness from (something); to soften, to subdue, to tone down. 

  • To mature and lose its harshness or sharpness. 

  • Followed by out: to relax (a person); in particular, to cause (a person) to become pleasantly high or stoned by taking drugs. 

  • To cause (fruit) to become soft or tender, specifically by ripening. 

  • To relax; in particular, to become pleasantly high or stoned by taking drugs. 

  • To be rendered soft and suitable for planting in. 

  • To cause (a person) to become calmer, gentler, and more understanding, particularly from age or experience. 

  • To lose harshness; to become gentler, subdued, or toned down. 

  • To soften (land or soil) and make it suitable for planting in. 

  • To cause (a person) to become slightly or pleasantly drunk or intoxicated. 

noun
  • The property of being mellow; mellowness. 

  • Also main mellow: a close friend or lover. 

  • A comfortable or relaxed mood. 

How often have the words grating and mellow occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )