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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of melancholy
Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 5 Mar. 2026
In my experience, sadness and melancholy exist side by side with happiness and joy.
—Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
David Opie, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2026
Fanning’s name was the first called when nominations were announced, signaling that Scandinavian melancholy would be notably absent that morning.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for melancholy
Adjective
Inside, the ornately elegant venue may have seemed like an unlikely setting for Junior H’s melancholy corridos tumbados.
—Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 5 Mar. 2026
In my experience, sadness and melancholy exist side by side with happiness and joy.
—Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Noun
Turner plays the middle brother with intriguing melancholy and an almost alien detachment, which works within the world this film creates, but not necessarily for a main character.
—David Opie, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2026
Fanning’s name was the first called when nominations were announced, signaling that Scandinavian melancholy would be notably absent that morning.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for melancholy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melancholy
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
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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
-
Your chatter zone lights up as the life-giving Sun conjoins nebulous Neptune, blending insight with curiosity for thoughtful conversations and local plans.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Connecticut residents expect thoughtful policymaking, transparency, and respect for civic participation.—
State Sen. Tony Hwang,
Hartford Courant,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Still, along with the sadness, there’s ample speculation in the art world and on social media that the artist himself orchestrated this round of naming.—
Laurie Kellman,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
-
No sadness mars the purity of its paranoia.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This provides an initially pretty good, if incredibly depressing, joke.—
Chase Hutchinson,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Four of his early films Wiseman described as some of the most depressing films ever made.—
David Pogue,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But there are so many other parts of Nigeria, unhappy in their union, who would also want that privilege.—
Obi Anyadike,
semafor.com,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The matter then came before the Board of Supervisors, which was caught between a sea of unhappy constituents and the possibility of a costly legal battle if the plan was not approved.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center plans to incorporate bird-friendly glass, a move aimed at reducing deadly collisions with reflective surfaces.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Mar. 2026
-
The soft glow of lanterns against ancient mounds turns a seemingly simple walk into a reflective, cinematic journey through American history.—
Rafael Peña,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Teenagers with difficulty accessing their outpatient mental health care come to the ED in crisis, with intensifying depression or anxiety.—
Dr. Lauren Palladino,
Hartford Courant,
22 Mar. 2026
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This can lead to anxiety and depression.—
Arthur C. Brooks
March 22,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Melancholy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melancholy. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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