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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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of melancholy
Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026
Stop briefly in Heroes’ Square for a truncated timeline of Hungary’s melancholy history.
—Joshua Levine, Travel + Leisure, 7 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
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
Stop briefly in Heroes’ Square for a truncated timeline of Hungary’s melancholy history.
—Joshua Levine, Travel + Leisure, 7 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
-
All our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this incredibly sad time.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
-
That was very sad that Soft Cell’s Dave Ball died at just 66.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The father, Jagdish, told me that one of his children was vomiting and the other had bloody stools; both were depressed.—
Sarah Stillman,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
So why are young Americans so depressed about their economic future?—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Wiener is a thoughtful lawmaker who championed groundbreaking housing-deregulation laws, but in this case that San Francisco progressive won out.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The best Mother’s Day gift ideas aren’t always the most obvious—they’re the ones that feel personal, thoughtful, and just a little indulgent.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Lane takes his place among the best, his Willy Loman a powder keg of frustration and disappointment and deep, deep sadness.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Underneath the fantastical conceit is this current of sadness, of loneliness, a yearning for connection.—
Emma Alpern,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Take 25 Hours, in Long Island City, for example, which is freighted with a depressing ambience that is equal parts chemistry lab and subterranean grotto.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Dede Ayite’s costume design nails each character, from Catherine’s slouchy, depressing sweats-and-flannels to Claire’s chic, New York casual-glam.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
As society gal Rose DeWitt Bukater, Melissa Barrera has freewheeling fun with Kate Winslett’s unhappy bride-to-be character.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
13 Apr. 2026
-
People on my block were unhappy, and block association president was unhappy.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Made of reflective material, this leash assures the safety of both you and your pet when the sun goes down.—
Christina Shepherd McGuire,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Kovács, who is more reflective in person than his bulldog persona online, told me that Hungary’s election system is secure.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Make gentle depressions with your fingertips to create ¼-inch-deep divots.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
12 Apr. 2026
-
One of the bills would create a pilot program for psychedelic or psilocybin mushrooms to be used in medicine for the treatment of mental health conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder and severe depression.—
Esme Murphy,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Melancholy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melancholy. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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