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
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 4 Apr. 2025
The song begins as a classic melancholy country pop waltz, complete with pedal steel, though a glimmering synth underneath betrays that this isn’t your average Patsy Cline song.
—James Factora, Them., 3 Apr. 2025
A.o. Scott, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
The actor infuses this unusual father figure with an overprotective streak and a sense of melancholy to match a patchwork body born from parental abuse.
5.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for melancholy
Adjective
With her My Band Y’all band providing muscular backing, Clarkson gave the rock classic a melancholy makeover, injecting an extra layer of longing into Dave Grohl’s lyrics, as well as, of course, busting out one of signature paint-peeling high notes.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 4 Apr. 2025
The song begins as a classic melancholy country pop waltz, complete with pedal steel, though a glimmering synth underneath betrays that this isn’t your average Patsy Cline song.
—James Factora, Them., 3 Apr. 2025
Noun
The poem concludes with an impulsive act of generosity that carries a hint of melancholy.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
The actor infuses this unusual father figure with an overprotective streak and a sense of melancholy to match a patchwork body born from parental abuse.
5.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for melancholy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melancholy
Adjective
-
My back hurt from that sad excuse for a chair (seriously, who designs dining chairs to feel like medieval torture devices?).—
Renae Gregoire,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
-
Stewart is still thanked by gay fans by creating such a rare, highly visible (albeit sad) representation.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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That would increase to 40% for productions outside of the Los Angeles area, or in economically depressed areas of Los Angeles.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
23 May 2025
-
Escorting the world's loneliest elephant across Asia In 2020, when most of the world was sealed up due to the COVID pandemic, Cher was flying around Asia fighting for Kaavan, a depressed elephant, stuck in a particularly nasty zoo in Pakistan.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
20 May 2025
Adjective
-
The clean ingredients and thoughtful composition show that Dossier put real care into creating something special.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
30 May 2025
-
Springsteen has never shied away from holding up a thoughtful mirror reflecting the state of our nation.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
The mortality rates of small indie presses and literary journals are a depressing feature of our cultural landscape.—
Michael Washburn,
National Review,
25 May 2025
-
Despite there being ample intrigue and mystery around what happened to Peter's first wife, the truth is pretty depressing.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
Reports suggested that Daltrey was unhappy with Starkey’s playing on the night, and a number of songs were cut short.—
Thomas Smith,
Billboard,
29 May 2025
-
Netflix In a recent interview with Harper's Bazaar, Ortega revealed that the massive success following 'Wednesday' actually left her unhappy.—
Jeremy Hanna,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
The actress goes on to stay that specific moment is reflective of why their relationship flourishes.—
Raven Brunner,
People.com,
31 May 2025
-
These many watering holes are reflective of the Lone Star state's varied geographic regions, from bald cypress swamps to mountainous desert lakes.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
31 May 2025
Noun
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The drug is believed to create more connections between brain cells, a process thought to ease depression and decrease suicidal thoughts, according to Mayo Clinic.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
25 May 2025
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The Pennsylvania Democrat was elected to his seat in November 2022, months after suffering a stroke, and later was checked into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment for depression in early 2023.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
The slow, mournful piano chords capture the somber bite of the scene with remarkable punch yet also a sobering stillness, and that’s before the elegiac words carry the song off into the sky.—
Daniel Dylan Wray,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2025
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Wynette’s mournful lyrics about a partner who has left—will one protagonist leave the other during the game’s main campaign?—to the sound of lonely, sad acoustic country music is the flip side of Wang Chung’s carefree spirit.—
Brady Gerber,
Vulture,
7 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Melancholy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melancholy. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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