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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of melancholy
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2026
Its most melancholy scene of all involves Willy Loman, a traveling salesman who has given his unnamed company the best years of his now weary life, walking into the head office only to be humiliated by the callow young man who now runs his company and could not give a damn about him.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026
Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
But Fennell is too fixated on the surface dazzle to undercut the mood with deeper melancholy or conflicted sexuality.
—Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for melancholy
Adjective
This is not to say the play is 95 minutes of melancholy.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2026
Its most melancholy scene of all involves Willy Loman, a traveling salesman who has given his unnamed company the best years of his now weary life, walking into the head office only to be humiliated by the callow young man who now runs his company and could not give a damn about him.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
In my experience, sadness and melancholy exist side by side with happiness and joy.
—Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
But Fennell is too fixated on the surface dazzle to undercut the mood with deeper melancholy or conflicted sexuality.
—Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for melancholy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melancholy
Adjective
-
The sad but realistic turns in their lives are engrossing, as is their slow convergence.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
-
While Vosk’s sassier Cee Cee holds her own in the churn, Barrett, also a fine singer but trapped in the straight-and-narrow part (with sadder wigs), gets swept out to sea.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
23 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
-
Most importantly, playing prominent roles alongside a respected veteran and thoughtful mentor in Zibanejad really seemed to propel the young wingers, who finished the season by combining for 43 points (24 for Lafrenière and 19 for Perreault) in the final 23 games.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
August 23 – September 22 One thoughtful move today creates real momentum.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 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
-
Floyd’s sincerity, the startling extremity of his concern for the comfort of others, snaps Clark out of his depressed, and depressing, complacency.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
-
That’s already a depressing number.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
23 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
-
Wabi-sabi design helps create a home that feels authentic, relaxed, and reflective of your real life.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Yet where its predecessor often had a reflective tone, their latest is about high-energy garage-rock catharsis, getting in a room and blasting away and letting the noise be your guide.—
Jon Dolan,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And some experience the emotional toll of a disability or chronic pain that can often lead to depression.—
Mike Flynn,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
That study, which included doses of magnesium to mitigate any cardiac issues, found significant improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms after treatment.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Melancholy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melancholy. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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