1
as in sad
causing unhappiness
the melancholy thought of having to say good-bye to all the friends he had made over the summer
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2
as in depressed
feeling unhappiness
they were a bit melancholy after their youngest child left for college
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3
as in thoughtful
given to or marked by long, quiet thinking
a melancholy period in the artist's life that is reflected in his work
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as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits
the bleakness of winter sometimes gives me cause for melancholy
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of melancholy
Charlie Lee, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
Yeva’s story gives the novel a melancholy moral center.
—Carole V. Bell, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
Gavin Edwards, Rolling Stone, 11 June 2025
Lately, however, the scruffy poet laureate of middle-aged melancholy has never been happier or more prolific, coming off a post-pandemic hot streak that saw the release of multiple National albums and now, his second release under his own name following 2020’s Serpentine Prison.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for melancholy
Adjective
The only one who seems to understand, even obliquely, is a melancholy prostitute Herman befriends named Margo.
—Charlie Lee, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
Yeva’s story gives the novel a melancholy moral center.
—Carole V. Bell, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
Noun
Those Brian Wilson compositions all sounded like insanely catchy jingles for the California teenage lifestyle–surfboards, hamburger stands, pep rallies–but on the flip side of the good times was a real sense of melancholy.
—Gavin Edwards, Rolling Stone, 11 June 2025
Lately, however, the scruffy poet laureate of middle-aged melancholy has never been happier or more prolific, coming off a post-pandemic hot streak that saw the release of multiple National albums and now, his second release under his own name following 2020’s Serpentine Prison.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for melancholy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melancholy
Adjective
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Too much alcohol and your dreamy dessert turns into a sad, semi-frozen slush.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
All three movies are packed with dinosaurs—dinosaurs running, dinosaurs being sad and winsome, dinosaurs showing ruthless disregard for human life.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
Nike reported fourth-quarter financial results that slightly topped depressed revenue and earnings-per-share estimates, but the full-year picture reflects the brand’s struggles, as 12-month revenue fell 10% to $46.3 billion.—
Kurt Badenhausen,
Sportico.com,
26 June 2025
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What resonates most strongly is the film’s subtler or more emotional moments — the camera lingering on a man left holding a stick after his dog fails to come back from a swim or the scene where Brody’s son mimics his depressed father’s body language at the dinner table.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
The genre as a whole is widely celebrated for its age-appropriate narratives and emotional depth, and the film has long been praised for its thoughtful portrayal of childhood and growing up.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 July 2025
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Fans show up to the Cowboy Carter tour in thoughtful, inventive takes on Western Americana fashion, stadiums filled with denim, bandanas, cowboy hats, and looks that don’t just scream U.S.A but hoot and holler.—
Leah Faye Cooper,
Vogue,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
That’s a depressing setup, but the film is a lot gentler.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
-
And on that depressing thought, that's how Squid Game ended.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
This gives the creditor an additional target to pursue and make very unhappy which can indirectly put pressure on the debtor to pay the judgment.—
Jay Adkisson,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
Circulation increased and the publication won two Pulitzer Prizes, but the owner, conservative Harry Guggenheim, was unhappy with the paper’s shift to the left, and he and Moyers were divided over the Vietnam War and the 1968 presidential election.—
Carmel Dagan,
Variety,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
Trump’s recent attitude toward TV news is reflective of that of the rest of the country, though millions are still watching Fox News.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
-
This kind of behavior isn’t reflective of Sox fans or the city.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
Composting locations don’t need to be perfectly level, but selecting a spot that doesn’t have any significant inclines or depressions makes compost piles much easier to manage.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 June 2025
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However, the series main character, Mi-ji, has been able to move past the depression that kept her from chasing her ambitions for years.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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Unlike most of his hardcore predecessors, Yates has a knack for mournful melodies, and a voice that may remind some older listeners of Perry Farrell, from Jane’s Addiction.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
11 June 2025
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Now comes their follow-up, with a soundalike title, but quite a different mood—more mournful, more anguished, more serious.—
Taylor Antrim,
Vogue,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Melancholy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melancholy. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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