as in sad
feeling unhappiness
she becomes quite melancholic when she reflects on all the lost opportunities of her life
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Recent Examples of melancholic
Nothing impacting them adjusts the stakes in a way that is inappropriately melancholic or melodramatic.
—
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 24 Feb. 2026
That’s good, because ALL MONSTERS’ lyrics are dense with surreal, melancholic humor, informed by Haas’ experiences with ADHD and autism and their trans identity.
—Hannah Jocelyn, Pitchfork, 23 Feb. 2026
By the fifth song, the album turns melancholic.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
There’s a wry grace to this misadventure-palooza, forged in the key of melancholic mid-career Woody Allen but with variations on those themes which achieve their own pointedly funny clarity, especially where Ubeimar Rios’ all-time portrayal of a sad sack is concerned.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for melancholic
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 24 Feb. 2026
That’s good, because ALL MONSTERS’ lyrics are dense with surreal, melancholic humor, informed by Haas’ experiences with ADHD and autism and their trans identity.
—Hannah Jocelyn, Pitchfork, 23 Feb. 2026
By the fifth song, the album turns melancholic.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
There’s a wry grace to this misadventure-palooza, forged in the key of melancholic mid-career Woody Allen but with variations on those themes which achieve their own pointedly funny clarity, especially where Ubeimar Rios’ all-time portrayal of a sad sack is concerned.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for melancholic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melancholic
Adjective
-
So is this really worth being sad about?—
Andrew P. Collins,
The Drive,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Perhaps the saddest was the case of a Garden Grove gas station owner who was convicted of misdemeanors for illegally giving customers preferential treatment.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In the novel The Midnight Library, Matt Haig tells the story of Nora, a depressed woman beset by her life and its disappointments.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The production also changes the seven scenes that make up the show in which classic child characters from Christmas specials and movies are seen as depressed middle-aged folks drinking away their holiday traumas in a small bar.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The post got 22,000 views, including from unhappy folks living next to data centers, but no helpful information.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Against this backdrop, the unhappy Angine shops compulsively in a department store and develops a fascination with a playful salesgirl.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Also emotional, sometimes spirited, and other times melancholy are the songs, which Cotillard lip-synced.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
-
In a weirdly serendipitous bit of cinema news, Billie Eilish—queen of melancholy pop—is turning her sad eyes to Sylvia Plath.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The story unfolds in Enoshima, Japan, where a middle-aged salaryman, unable to submit his resignation letter, meets a heartbroken young Korean man at a ramen shop.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The comedy lies in the unwavering sincerity with which every ridiculous twist is treated, from one-night stands with a cuy fighter and multiple fires to violent abductions and a heartbroken lover riding her motorcycle off a cliff.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
So then life becomes miserable, and a footballer that’s unhappy doesn’t perform.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Hurricanes lead to power failures that make heat waves more miserable.—
Mark Gongloff,
Mercury News,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Over the years, humpback whale songs have been recorded for human listening, with many describing the songs as having a haunting, mournful quality.—
Patrick Whittle,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Humpback whales, which can weigh more than 55,000 pounds, are the ocean's most renowned singers, capable of complex vocalizations that can sound ethereal or even mournful.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
What's worse are diesel prices.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The family had made the three-day journey west based on reports that autism services in Colorado would be better, but in the upheaval of a move, Ethan had gotten worse and thrown his father into a wall.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Melancholic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melancholic. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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