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
Jane Ciabattari
september 16, Literary Hub, 16 Sep. 2025
Some gags land, others don’t, and the script’s sudden bursts of melancholy dependably catch you in the gut.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2025
Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
Lacy’s new music maintains his sly sense of humor, but with a barefaced melancholy that pushes it to new emotional depths.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for melancholy
Adjective
Does this melancholy trip echo a life experience of your own?
—Jane Ciabattari
september 16, Literary Hub, 16 Sep. 2025
Some gags land, others don’t, and the script’s sudden bursts of melancholy dependably catch you in the gut.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
The film is a series of character studies, quiet, observational and non-judgmental – a comedy, but interwoven with threads of melancholy.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
Lacy’s new music maintains his sly sense of humor, but with a barefaced melancholy that pushes it to new emotional depths.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for melancholy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melancholy
Adjective
-
Is this a deeply sad, award-winning tearjerker of a drama?—
James Factora,
Them.,
26 Sep. 2025
-
The schism that developed between Ric and Ben is a very sad part of the story.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The writer, known for her trailblazing work in confessional poetry, was clinically depressed and died by suicide at age 30.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Barbeau had been living alone, depressed and isolated since Jessica’s death.—
Jon Michael Varese,
The Atlantic,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This could be a raise, a thoughtful gift or simply learning how to value your own time more.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
-
By 1996, McLachlan had released several albums, with 1993’s thoughtful, moody Fumbling Towards Ecstasy marking a breakthrough.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
There’s not even a sadness or an anger.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
-
When his dog, Grace, died the year before, at the age of sixteen and a half, the sadness was overwhelming.—
Ann Patchett,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Coordinating your exhales with the pressing, depressing, pulling and lifting phases of these exercises enhances activation of the scapular stabilizing muscles and reinforces proper rib cage alignment.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
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Closing The Gap The racial wealth gap in America remains depressing, and homeownership is one of the clearest indicators of it.—
Essence,
Essence,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Smart, much like Georgia’s fan base, is pretty unhappy after yet another loss to Alabama.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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While there are reasons to be unhappy with the performance, each win in the NFL is hard to get.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Wettig noted in an August 2009 interview with NPR that though Thirtysomething's characters were often accused of being narcissistic by critics, their self-involvement was also reflective of the time.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Sep. 2025
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Cost was reported as the most prominent barrier to care in Texas, which was reflective of a national trend showing families with private insurance face greater barriers compared with families using public programs like Medicaid, according to the survey.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
If conditions are right, the clusters swirl into a storm known as a tropical wave or tropical depression.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
28 Sep. 2025
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The depression trudged along at 2 mph with 35-mph winds, center officials said.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Melancholy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melancholy. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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