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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits
the bleakness of winter sometimes gives me cause for melancholy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of melancholy
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026
Hein’s memories turn out to be underscored not only by longing and melancholy, but an instinct of self-preservation.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 12 Apr. 2026
Literary Hub, 10 Mar. 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
There is no loyal Horatio this time to serve as confidant or sounding board to our melancholy protagonist.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026
Hein’s memories turn out to be underscored not only by longing and melancholy, but an instinct of self-preservation.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 12 Apr. 2026
Noun
Early nineteenth-century medical experts took a range of views on the causes and defining features of melancholy.
—Literary Hub, 10 Mar. 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
-
Back in the city, Amanda and Ciara go for a walk so that Amanda can hear all about the makeup with West and then tell Ciara the very sad tale of her love story as it was related to their couple’s therapist.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
-
None at all leads to slow, pale, sad-looking growth that limps through the season.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Researchers believe inbreeding led to depressed survival rates in pups.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Sam is very depressed and feels lonely and isolated.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
One thoughtful adjustment keeps things on track.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
-
Friends and colleagues close to King said they were saddened by his death, but remembered him as a hard-working and demanding judge who was also thoughtful and fair.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
The scene where Artax the horse gets stuck in the swamps of sadness?—
Redazione People,
Vanity Fair,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Family members said it’s been a long road of frustration, agony and sadness watching Hitchcock’s death sentences get overturned three times amid the nearly a dozen appeals his attorneys have filed over the decades.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This level of security is a depressing necessity in modern-day Britain.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
-
The movie is simultaneously more depressing than the original and more saccharine, with a repellent amount of affection between characters who should know better.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Alex Cora was clearly unhappy towards the end.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
-
There were thousands of unhappy Stagecoach festivalgoers on Saturday night, as the approximately 75,000-80,000 guests were forced to evacuate due to high winds.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The youngins also want a yacht that is design-forward and reflective of their taste.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
2 May 2026
-
The move feels reflective of the state of things.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
The accident also caused other issues, including her short-term memory and balance, and led to a bout of depression.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
-
Black people experience higher levels of early-life post-traumatic stress than white people and are more likely to suffer from chronic depression later in life.—
Jerel Ezell,
STAT,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Melancholy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melancholy. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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