melody

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

Synonyms of melody

• song
• tune

Examples of melody in a Sentence

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

Chandler primarily uses his guitars to produce radar sweeps of drone, which allows Schwendener’s bass to take full responsibility for Beat’s melodies. — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026

The song runs along a bouncing track with airy melodies swirling throughout each verse. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026

Tenpenny powered through a range of vocals — the lead, harmonies and some answer lines that provided counter melodies. — Tom Roland, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2026

The album folded electronic textures, orchestral flourishes, studio experimentation and huge melodies into songs that wrestled with politics, mortality, love, fear and the strange business of being alive. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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