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
Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 31 Dec. 2024
The stories were often subdued — even melancholy — despite centering around a group of martial arts mutants, and emphasized the humanity of the turtles, who were struggling with finding their own identities in a world that didn’t want them.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 31 Dec. 2024
Jack Lang, The Athletic, 9 Feb. 2025
The song captures both melancholy and resilience, reflecting Knowles’ mastery of storytelling through song.
—Spin Contributor, SPIN, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for melancholy
Adjective
Literary scholars have written essay after essay remarking on Hamlet’s delay, and he has been widely understood as a flawed person, too melancholy and intellectual to do what he’s decided to do.
—Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 31 Dec. 2024
The stories were often subdued — even melancholy — despite centering around a group of martial arts mutants, and emphasized the humanity of the turtles, who were struggling with finding their own identities in a world that didn’t want them.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 31 Dec. 2024
Noun
Still, there is an undeniable air of melancholy to his movements since that move.
—Jack Lang, The Athletic, 9 Feb. 2025
The song captures both melancholy and resilience, reflecting Knowles’ mastery of storytelling through song.
—Spin Contributor, SPIN, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for melancholy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melancholy
Adjective
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Especially sad is the case of Netta, one of Liat’s three children, who survived the attack.—
Jordan Mintzer,
The Hollywood Reporter,
20 Feb. 2025
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But after a third season that saw Billy (Gil Bellows) strut around with a coterie of women from a Robert Palmer video before dropping dead of a brain tumor, this outing is remarkably grounded, poignant…and sad.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Today’s youth can feel depressed by the state of society while remaining incredibly sensitive, inventive, and caring.—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
15 Feb. 2025
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Man Shares Theory About Why Gen Z Are Depressed By Alice Gibbs Senior Life and Trends Reporter Newsweek Is A Trust Project Member news article 20 A 24-year-old marketing agency owner who lives in Tampa, Florida, has sparked discussion after sharing this theory about why Gen Z is depressed.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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That didn’t stop Durant from considering each question before providing a thoughtful answer.—
Darnell Mayberry,
The Athletic,
23 Feb. 2025
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Additionally, the firm is a long-term, thoughtful and diligent investor known for creating value behind the scenes.—
Kenneth Squire,
CNBC,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Whether the Nationals pitching staff can hold up, healthy and effective in an incredibly difficult division, is another pressing question — with a depressing answer: probably not — but at least the bats will be worth watching.—
The Athletic MLB Staff,
The Athletic,
12 Feb. 2025
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Listen to this article Super Bowl parties are on the rise this year thanks to the need to decompress from a most depressing start to 2025, along with the rising cost of packages at bars and restaurants.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Many previous Trump advisers, including Mr. Bolton, have tried to contain Mr. Trump, with unhappy results.—
Michael Crowley,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2025
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Thus, Amazon knows there won't be a raft of unhappy customers complaining about losing their apps.—
Ryan Whitwam,
Ars Technica,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Packed with reflective pearls and blurring pigments, the tint aims to minimize color imperfections while hydrating and evening your skin tone.—
Averi Baudler,
People.com,
25 Feb. 2025
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Practice reflective silence—After receiving feedback, take a moment to process before responding.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The fear of deportation can lead to significant mental health problems for immigrants and their loved ones, ranging from conditions like anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder to a loss of trust in others and social isolation.—
Kristina Fullerton Rico,
The Conversation,
19 Feb. 2025
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The overwhelming majority are for people with terminal illnesses, mostly cancer, with a smaller number for people who have other nonterminal conditions that cause acute suffering — such as neurodegenerative disease or intractable depression.—
Stephanie Nolen,
New York Times,
16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Brown’s sound design mixes Sousa-like military fanfares with mournful underscoring for Lavinia’s tragedy, neither of which has much to do with Kidwell’s preshow music.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2025
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Chaos quickly unfolds when the bickering, different-strokes twins find the calamitous heirloom—although Perkins keeps the first act mostly mournful, as the boys struggle with the onslaught of death around them.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Melancholy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melancholy. Accessed 2 Mar. 2025.
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