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

• air
• lay
• song
• strain
• tune
• warble

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 peak of this era arguably came with Van Halen’s 1984, which married singer David Lee Roth’s irresistible melodies with guitarist Eddie Van Halen’s jaw-dropping six-string virtuosity. —Spin Staff, SPIN, 4 Sep. 2024

The Skip Hop Stroll & Go Portable Baby Soother, which is now just $10, is a petite sound machine that plays melodies and nature sounds with an adjustable volume and preset timer settings for 15, 30, and 60 minutes. —Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 3 Sep. 2024

The track, distributed by Virgin Music Group India under R Music label, blends electronic sounds with traditional melodies and pop beats. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 Aug. 2024

Nearly every song in the film and much of its background score include the haunting hook that becomes this song’s main melody. —Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2024

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