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
Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026
But Wednesday’s report about the parking fees quickly backfiring should turn this melancholy into fury.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
Rolling Stone, 29 Dec. 2025
Bob Wilson, 63, actor Bob Wilson Trap Door Theatre
Bob Wilson, a veteran of the Chicago stage who could channel the comedic, the surreal, the absurd and the melancholy, died Oct. 7 after a battle with glioblastoma.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for melancholy
Adjective
With burly melancholy, Wong plays Ah Tseng, a Chinese migrant worker employed — with his young nephews — in the Rock Springs coal mines, though introduced on an idle day off in their makeshift camp.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026
But Wednesday’s report about the parking fees quickly backfiring should turn this melancholy into fury.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
Noun
The Spiritual Sound Marc-André Hamelin, Found Objects / Sound Objects
The Beths, Straight Line Was a Lie
A year like no other, my 2025 in music was filled with joyous arias and madrigals of melancholy.
—Rolling Stone, 29 Dec. 2025
Bob Wilson, 63, actor Bob Wilson Trap Door Theatre
Bob Wilson, a veteran of the Chicago stage who could channel the comedic, the surreal, the absurd and the melancholy, died Oct. 7 after a battle with glioblastoma.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for melancholy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melancholy
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, Nancy Guthrie's Arizona community gathered for a vigil Wednesday evening while the world can't look away from an incident that is deeply, horrifically sad and frightening.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The song is sophisticated and simple, sad and somehow triumphant.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
For someone already feeling lonely, depressed or emotionally overwhelmed, turning to AI for connection can backfire.—
Brianna Hardcastle,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Feb. 2026
-
As Maneesh, the doe-eyed Disney Channel alum Karan Brar exudes depressed decency but never quite taps into the messy turmoil that might complicate the coder’s choices.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
And thanks to a thoughtful renovation, this particular farmhouse is ready to begin its next chapter.—
Miriam Schwartz,
Hartford Courant,
8 Feb. 2026
-
In his view, growth means extending the reach of a thoughtful approach while preserving the personal relationships that define his work.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Across countries, sadness, anger, loneliness and despair are at the highest levels recorded in decades.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The mood in the crowd was widespread anger and sadness — recalling the same outpouring of wrath and grief that shook the city after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police in 2020, although without the widespread violent protests then.—
Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
More depressing, the brothers say.—
Max Chesnes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Any insight into the thought processes of people like him is informative and amusing, if a bit depressing as well.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Domingo Morel, a professor at New York University who studies state takeovers of local schools, said most local residents wind up unhappy with the methods used by state interventionists and the results.—
Bri Hatch,
Chalkbeat,
26 Jan. 2026
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Audrey, the single and childless and PhD-less product of a stable but unhappy home, has fallen short of the life planned out for her by her parents.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Across the street from Hamburguesas El Gordo, a Mexican street food spot on Cedar Avenue in Minneapolis, a 29-year-old arborist stood on a corner Wednesday morning wearing a black hooded jacket under a reflective vest and an orange whistle on a string around his neck.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
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Frie recommends layering in reflective and light-balancing elements, noting that warm metallics, such as brass fixtures or gilded mirrors—along with thoughtful lighting, are essential.—
Angelika Pokovba,
Martha Stewart,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Make shallow depressions for your rhizomes and cover so new green growth sits just above the soil surface.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Don’t sink into depression, this is temporary!—
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Melancholy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melancholy. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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