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

The winning melody was inspired by a ditty sung by Heap’s daughter, Scout. — Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026

Figuring out how to fit those words into a melody has been its own education. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026

The final melody is a minuet that Sebastián plays on the trumpet earlier in the film. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026

More than halfway through, Beatty says the focus has been keeping the concerts fresh, experimenting with melodies on songs and leaning into the live dynamic. — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 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