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
Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
Brass rang out during the first chorus as Beck and company picked up the pace following one of Sea Change’s more melancholy moments, striking a cinematic tone during an early instrumental section.
—Jim Ryan, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025
More often than not, the film’s nostalgia is sweet and enjoyable because it is paired with the melancholy that comes from all the acknowledgments of the actors from the original who died over the last 29 years.
—Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for melancholy
Adjective
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
Brass rang out during the first chorus as Beck and company picked up the pace following one of Sea Change’s more melancholy moments, striking a cinematic tone during an early instrumental section.
—Jim Ryan, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Noun
Its mix of rebellious humor and suburban melancholy?
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025
More often than not, the film’s nostalgia is sweet and enjoyable because it is paired with the melancholy that comes from all the acknowledgments of the actors from the original who died over the last 29 years.
—Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for melancholy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melancholy
Adjective
-
This one is trickier and sadder to think about.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
12 Sep. 2025
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Composite image created by Newsweek shows two older people looking worried and a piggy bank with a sad face on its side.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Because that’s the case, their actual margin opportunity is depressed.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
15 Sep. 2025
-
This might be because people are a bit depressed.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Built between the late 17th century and early 18th century, the picturesque home has been restored by thoughtful architects who preserved the building’s rustic simplicity while ushering it into the modern era.—
Madeline Weinfield,
Architectural Digest,
17 Sep. 2025
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Housed in the former Town Hall, built in 1816, the museum offers a thoughtful overview of the region’s history.—
Madeline Weinfield,
Southern Living,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Frustration can push us to solve problems, sadness can deepen your appreciation for joy and worry can sometimes sharpen your focus.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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But sadness, anxiety, anger and frustration can be channeled into actions such as becoming involved in activism and volunteering to help the survivors and society at large.—
Arash Javanbakht,
The Conversation,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
His relentless prepackaged positivity — even in the wake of depressing game day results — turned him into something of a punch line.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
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The depressing effect of the seasonality is somewhat offset by the ‘5’ effect.—
Bill Sarubbi,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
My research team works hard to keep the email addresses up to date, but executives keep changing their addresses to avoid having to deal with unhappy customers.—
Christopher Elliott,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
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But few seemed to leave unhappy.—
Jonathan Hawkins,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The only difference is that reflective tint is not allowed anywhere on the windshield and can't be more than 35% on the front and rear windows.—
Keenan Thompson,
Freep.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Give that remark a sobering, reflective moment.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In these homes, the conflict between budgeting and feeding kids well creates huge psychological stress for parents, which can lead to anxiety and depression, fueling the vicious cycle of stress and unhealthy eating, Beresin said.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 2025
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In recent years, the Brit had been open about his struggles with alcohol, drugs and depression.—
Jamie Barton,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Melancholy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melancholy. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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