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
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Recent Examples of melancholy
Jason Motlagh,
Rolling Stone,
22 June 2026
The play can create some real melancholy.
—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
18 June 2026
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Apr. 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
At an overcrowded camp off the main road connecting the capital to Pétionville, 26-year old Emerson Delva looks on with a mix of pride and melancholy.
—
Jason Motlagh,
Rolling Stone,
22 June 2026
The play can create some real melancholy.
—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
18 June 2026
Noun
The specific kind of melancholy that only exists between Halloween and the first real snow.
—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Apr. 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
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Day broke, bathing everything in light, and so great was the vitality of the early-morning sun that even the unhappy city seemed to smile a wan, sad smile.
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But SpringHill really took off in 2020, two seasons into James’ Lakers term, when The SpringHill Company went public (and the Lakers won the sad COVID-bubble NBA Championship).
Adjective
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The pseudonymous title character, a depressed, drunken, belligerent twenty-six-year-old advice columnist, has no real hardships of his own and is cursed by doubt.
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Supergirl is a story about a depressed, super-powered woman who is pulled out of her bar-hopping to help other people and find her purpose.
Adjective
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High ceilings and generous proportions create volume, while thoughtful transitions blur the lines between interior and exterior, extending daily life beyond the home’s four walls.
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The bold contrast calls for thoughtful choices of wall color.
Noun
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Each room explores a different human emotion — joy and love, fear and hope, sadness and gratitude, anger and resilience.
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Working again with collaborators Adrian Utley (Portishead) and Shahzad Ismaily (Ceramic Dog) and joined by Nick Hakim and drummer Tom Skinner (the Smile), Orton uses The Ground Above to create weighty songs that deal with both joy and sadness.
Adjective
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What a depressing, disturbing waste, no matter the final verdict.
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After watching and enjoying the film, a somewhat depressing thought leaped into my mind.
Adjective
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The decade was an unhappy panorama of inflation, gas shortages, military humiliation, and revelations of political corruption.
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On Tuesday, Paul urged Americans who are unhappy with the justices’ ruling to support his proposal.
Adjective
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Was came from a working-class industrial city, making music reflective of Detroit’s technological upheaval and economic neglect.
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Practically architectural in its precision, her hair is pulled straight back and upwards without a visible part to create a smooth, downright reflective surface from her hairline to the crown.
Noun
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The pair went all the way down to a 43-mile-wide and 1,500-mile-long depression in the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench, known as the Challenger Deep.
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The victim's mother also addressed the jury, blaming Rullan for her son's depression and anxiety and describing the emotional toll the abuse had taken on their family.
Cite this Entry
“Melancholy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melancholy. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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