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
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 4 Apr. 2025
The song begins as a classic melancholy country pop waltz, complete with pedal steel, though a glimmering synth underneath betrays that this isn’t your average Patsy Cline song.
—James Factora, Them., 3 Apr. 2025
A.o. Scott, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
The actor infuses this unusual father figure with an overprotective streak and a sense of melancholy to match a patchwork body born from parental abuse.
5.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for melancholy
Adjective
With her My Band Y’all band providing muscular backing, Clarkson gave the rock classic a melancholy makeover, injecting an extra layer of longing into Dave Grohl’s lyrics, as well as, of course, busting out one of signature paint-peeling high notes.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 4 Apr. 2025
The song begins as a classic melancholy country pop waltz, complete with pedal steel, though a glimmering synth underneath betrays that this isn’t your average Patsy Cline song.
—James Factora, Them., 3 Apr. 2025
Noun
The poem concludes with an impulsive act of generosity that carries a hint of melancholy.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
The actor infuses this unusual father figure with an overprotective streak and a sense of melancholy to match a patchwork body born from parental abuse.
5.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for melancholy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melancholy
Adjective
-
For someone who prizes roadside Americana, this is the visual version of the sad trombone sound.—
Christopher Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
-
After the show, there's booze, girls, and hotel suites, but Abel's locked in the bathroom, being sad.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
That would increase to 40% for productions outside of the Los Angeles area, or in economically depressed areas of Los Angeles.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
23 May 2025
-
In a depressed environment, where every effort is scrutinised, Moynat’s outing for 520 plays on the simple bond between pets and their owners, landing well.—
Gemma A. Williams,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
Adjective
-
Tesfaye’s bold and electric presence onstage and onscreen is an intriguing counterpoint to the thoughtful and soft-spoken man who sits for a chat about his movie.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
17 May 2025
-
Practice, Practice, Practice One of the ways that the greats prepare themselves for the biggest moments is through thoughtful preparation.—
Karl Moore,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2025
Adjective
-
The mortality rates of small indie presses and literary journals are a depressing feature of our cultural landscape.—
Michael Washburn,
National Review,
25 May 2025
-
Despite there being ample intrigue and mystery around what happened to Peter's first wife, the truth is pretty depressing.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
However, the Palestinians are unhappy with the speed of FIFA’s inquiries.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
-
Their presidential candidate, Erika Meza, a 25-year veteran teacher from the Southeast Side, is unhappy with what CTU has come to symbolize.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
The city of Alameda, Calif., halted an experiment to spray sea-salt particles skyward to make clouds more reflective.—
Alec Luhn,
Scientific American,
20 May 2025
-
For far too long, hearing folks have co-opted and told our stories, and 100% of them are not reflective of our experiences.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
19 May 2025
Noun
-
Advanced technologies, physical security, and an abundance of stuff [courtesy of highly advanced 3D printers] does nothing to stop a growing wave of loneliness and depression.—
G Kirilloff,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
-
For some people with mild depression, walking might even be as effective as some medications.6 High-intensity exercise releases feel-good chemicals called endorphins, which can boost your mood following a workout.—
Jennifer Steinhoff,
Verywell Health,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
The slow, mournful piano chords capture the somber bite of the scene with remarkable punch yet also a sobering stillness, and that’s before the elegiac words carry the song off into the sky.—
Daniel Dylan Wray,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2025
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Wynette’s mournful lyrics about a partner who has left—will one protagonist leave the other during the game’s main campaign?—to the sound of lonely, sad acoustic country music is the flip side of Wang Chung’s carefree spirit.—
Brady Gerber,
Vulture,
7 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Melancholy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melancholy. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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