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

—P. B. 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

• 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

There’s a melancholy in the melody, but at the same time, the rap and vocals really pull out the raw emotion. —Jeff Benjamin, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025

Michael Robinson heard the saxophone melody drifting toward his bus Wednesday and walked over to hear Damico Brown’s smooth jazz notes outside the Gary Metro Station. —Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2025

And when Toy Factory Project hits the stage for the first time this weekend, Riddle’s likely to hear a few folks singing along to his friend’s sweet melodies. —Matthew Leimkuehler, Rolling Stone, 21 June 2025

Every kid across many cultures know those little songs, like ‘Row, Row, Row Your Boat’ or ‘London Bridge is Falling Down’, simple melodies like that. —Ryan Fleming, Deadline, 18 June 2025

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