melody

1 of 2

noun

mel·​o·​dy ˈme-lə-dē 

plural melodies

1

: a sweet or agreeable succession or arrangement of sounds

… whilst all the winds with melody are ringing.

—Percy Bysshe Shelley

2

: a rhythmic succession of single tones organized as an aesthetic whole

a hummable melody

the piper's fingers play the melody on a pipe called a chanter

—Pat Cahill

melodic

mə-ˈlä-dik 

adjective

melodically

mə-ˈlä-di-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

melodic

2 of 2

adjective

me·​lod·​ic mə̇ˈlädik 

meˈ-, 

-dēk

: relating to, containing, constituting, or made up of melody : melodious

melodically

-də̇k(ə)lē 

-dēk-, 

-li

adverb

Synonyms of melody

Noun

• song
• tune

Examples of melody in a Sentence

Noun

He wrote a piece that includes some beautiful melodies.

a composer known for his love of melody

He sang a few old melodies.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Broadsides – sheets of paper containing lyrics to be sung to familiar, traditional melodies – were a common medium for disseminating songs. — Ted Olson, The Conversation, 2 July 2026

Immersive robot awareness As a robot approaches, the system generates a melody that changes over time. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 2 July 2026

An interpolation re-records or re-performs the original melody, leaving the master untouched. — Jeff Benjamin, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Even more than usual, critics and Dylanologists scrutinized Modern Times for references and allusions, finding words and melodies paraphrased from the works of Muddy Waters, Bing Crosby, and the Roman poet Ovid. — Al Shipley, SPIN, 29 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English melodie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin melodia, from Greek melōidia chanting, music, from melos limb, musical phrase, song (probably akin to Breton mell joint) + aeidein to sing — more at ode

Adjective

Late Latin melodicus, from Greek melōidikos, from melōidia melody + -ikos -ic

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

melody

noun

mel·​o·​dy ˈmel-əd-ē 

plural melodies

1

: a pleasing succession of sounds

2

: a series of musical tones arranged to give a pleasing effect

3

: the leading part in a musical composition involving harmony