melancholic

adjective

mel·​an·​chol·​ic ˌme-lən-ˈkä-lik 

1

: of, relating to, or subject to melancholy : depressed

2

: of or relating to melancholia

3

: tending to depress the spirits : saddening

melancholic noun

Synonyms of melancholic

• sad
• depressed
• unhappy
• melancholy
• heartbroken
• miserable
• mournful
• bad
• sorrowful
• sorry

Examples of melancholic in a Sentence

she becomes quite melancholic when she reflects on all the lost opportunities of her life

Recent Examples on the Web

Sonically, the track (produced and composed by Gavilan) is a melancholic grassroots folk song accompanied by weeping guitar riffs and a heart-pounding cajón. —Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2026

Likewise, prevailing concepts of Hamlet at the time cast the prince as a wan and melancholic, leading critics to bristle at Bernhardt’s energy. —Betsy Golden Kellem, JSTOR Daily, 18 Mar. 2026

Despite his impassive eyes, balding pate, and slit of a smile, Robert Duvall could be volcanic and melancholic, mysterious and straightforward, vengeful and merciful. —Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026

The making of such a film would look a lot like the funny, tenderly melancholic, and wonderful Candidates of Death. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English malencolic, melancolyk "consisting of or caused by black bile, irascible, gloomy," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French melancolique, borrowed from Latin melancholicus, borrowed from Greek melancholikós, from melancholía "black bile, melancholy entry 1" + -ikos -ic entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for melancholic

• alcoholic
• anabolic
• apostolic
• catabolic
• cytosolic
• diabolic
• diastolic
• ethanolic
• hyperbolic
• metabolic
• methanolic
• parabolic

Medical Definition

melancholic

1 of 2 adjective

mel·​an·​chol·​ic ˌmel-ən-ˈkäl-ik 

1

: of, relating to, or subject to melancholy : depressed

2

: of or relating to melancholia

melancholic

2 of 2 noun

1

: a melancholy person

2

: melancholiac