honeyed voice

[alpacinou]

Hello,

Please look at the young woman singing in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IChJ6eO3k48

Can I use the word "honeyed" in talking about her voice and singing? Do these work?

1. She sang in a delightfully honeyed voice.

2. Her voice is delightfully honeyed.

3. She has this amazingly honeyed voice.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Yes.

It's unusual but not bad.

It depends on the audience you're aiming at. We draw a distinction between literary writing and transparent writing. Literary writing calls attention to the sound and imagery of words, transparent writing focuses and clarity and ease of reading.

Your use of honeyed is good for literary writing.

 

[GoesStation]

It makes me think she's hiding something. I don't think that's what you want to say.

 

[alpacinou]

It makes me think she's hiding something. I don't think that's what you want to say.

Why hiding? How would you describe her voice and her singing?

 

[alpacinou]

So, what is a similar word that I can use to describe her voice and singing?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

So, what is a similar word that I can use to describe her voice and singing?

Interesting!

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

So, what is a similar word that I can use to describe her voice and singing?

Sweet? Mellifluous? Charming? Rich? Soaring? Passionate? Enchanting? Mesmerizing?

It's time to open your thesaurus again.

 

[alpacinou]

Sweet? Melifluous? Charming? Rich? Soaring? Passionate? Enchanting? Mesmerizing?

It's time to open your thesaurus again.

How common is "Mellifluous"? In the thesaurus, "honeyed" is mentioned as its synonym!

 

[GoesStation]

How common is "Mellifluous"? In the thesaurus, "honeyed" is mentioned as its synonym!

I'd never noticed before, but I have a feeling the melli- root comes from the Latin for "honey". But "honeyed voice" is an expression with a specific meaning: a voice that has been "sweetened" so it can carry a negative message with a positive tone.

 

[Tdol]

Her voice is a bit throaty for the use of honeyed to me.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

How common is "Mellifluous"? . . .

It's not. Or I'd know how to spell it.

 

[jutfrank]

Her voice is a bit throaty for the use of honeyed to me.

As GoesStation says, honeyed doesn't mean 'like honey'.

But I agree that her voice is not at all like honey. It's quite rough, in fact. She's flat in places too. Nice quality, though.

 

[Tdol]

I just didn't think her voice was smooth enough for honeyed. She can sing, but it is, as you say, a bit rough, which I called throaty.

 

[GoesStation]

As GoesStation says, honeyed doesn't mean 'like honey'.

The image behind a "honeyed voice" is that of something bitter or sour that's been coated with honey to hide its unpleasant taste. "Mellifluous" doesn't have that connotation.