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

Its rhythm, melody, and structure provide a kind of sequential framework, a timeline. —Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025

The sound of the wind can be heard in the background along with a light melody of jazz music being played nearby. —Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025

Frequently, an ascending complex melody will level out into a single, insistent note; tempos accelerate and then accelerate again; her singers give up on words to wail like Klaxons. —Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025

That version — ‘El Pendón Estrellado’ — tells the exact same story, word for word in meaning, and is set to the exact same melody. —Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 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