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melancholic

adjective

ˌme-lən-ˈkä-lik How to pronounce melancholic (audio)
Definition of melancholicnext
as in sad
feeling unhappiness she becomes quite melancholic when she reflects on all the lost opportunities of her life

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of melancholic In both cases, there is something at once magisterial and leadenly self-regarding about the melancholic rhythms of Cusk’s prose, with its stiff and stately syntax and its utter impatience with the real vagaries of difference. — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026 Later, another nerdy boy will fall prey to their antics, yet there’s no gruesome violence on sight, only a melancholic and ethereal exorcizing of the demons that plague Emily’s heart. — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 20 July 2026 Now with Daughter From Hell, Abrams once again combines bulletproof pop songwriting with a melancholic indie-folk aesthetic. — Molly Mary O’Brien, Pitchfork, 17 July 2026 Traces of You is more nostalgic and melancholic, meant as a reflection on losing Schlesinger. — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for melancholic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melancholic
  1. sad
  2. depressed
  3. unhappy
  4. melancholy
  5. heartbroken
  6. miserable
  7. mournful
  8. bad
Adjective
  • However — here is the gold dust — the perfect blend is gay AND sad.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Top Plays from Broncos @ Chiefs Perhaps the only solace for the Broncos after a season of sky-high expectations opened with a flop is those sorts of sad adjectives belonged to everyone.
    — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of sad
Adjective
  • Quietly depressed, a wife to Reuben (Tracy Letts, Coon’s real-life partner) and mother to Ella (Bella Ramsey) and Jo (Odessa Young), Rita holds a monotonous desk job at a bank by day, and tends to her family by night as part of her humdrum routine.
    — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Sprague conceded Clancy had mental health issues and was depressed.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of depressed
Adjective
  • But when an oblong ball hits the turf, there’s often an equal chance the other team will recover, so Harbaugh was predictably unhappy with his team’s four fumbles against Dallas.
    — Dan Duggan, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • There's also the daunting task of keeping young conservatives engaged at a time when many of them are unhappy with party leaders.
    — Elena Moore, NPR, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of unhappy
Adjective
  • There is romance and melancholy, playfulness and despair, all happening at once.
    — PhotoVogue, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026
  • That O’Flynn’s newfound fame has coincided with her starring role in this gentle, melancholy wonder of a movie is a fitting, if unplanned, convergence.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of melancholy
Adjective
  • Wright State University President Sue Edwards said the school community was heartbroken.
    — Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Micah’s life was taken far too soon, leaving his family, friends, teammates, and community heartbroken.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of heartbroken
Adjective
  • But this sleekly miserable noir about the aftermath of a feckless man’s confrontation with his wife’s younger lover transports the stuff of archetype into Putin’s Russia.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The higher the price of gas goes, the more miserable Republicans become, and the more bettors see the Dems winning.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of miserable
Adjective
  • Tender Loving Care is a gentle, mournful, funny portrait of a family whose future is shadowed by uncertainty but tries to face life with cheeriness.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Part of it was the circumstances of his death and the mournful public procession through Brooklyn.
    — Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of mournful
Adjective
  • The term, once confined to technical science papers, has gripped Silicon Valley, steered trillions of dollars in investment and fanned fears of human displacement, or worse.
    — George Musser, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026
  • That’s cool that people (liked it), but that’s bad ball security.
    — Taylor Eldridge, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of bad

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Cite this Entry

“Melancholic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melancholic. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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