melancholy

American  

[mel-uhn-kol-ee] / ˈmɛl ənˌkɒl i /

noun

PLURAL

melancholies

1. a gloomy state of mind, especially when habitual or prolonged; depression.

   Synonyms:

   despondency , dejection , sadness

   Antonyms:

   happiness , cheer

2. sober thoughtfulness; pensiveness.

   Synonyms:

   seriousness

3. Archaic.

   1. the condition of having too much black bile, considered in ancient and medieval medicine to cause gloominess and depression.

   2. black bile.

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adjective

1. affected with, characterized by, or showing melancholy; mournful; depressed.

   a melancholy mood.

   Synonyms:

   downcast , glum , doleful , dismal , sorrowful , dispirited , blue , despondent , gloomy

2. causing melancholy or sadness; saddening.

   a melancholy occasion.

   Antonyms:

   happy

3. soberly thoughtful; pensive.

   Synonyms:

   serious , serious

melancholy British  

/ ˈmɛlənˌkɒlɪlɪ, ˈmɛlənkəlɪ /

noun

1. a constitutional tendency to gloominess or depression

2. a sad thoughtful state of mind; pensiveness

3. archaic

   1. a gloomy character, thought to be caused by too much black bile

   2. one of the four bodily humours; black bile See humour

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adjective

1. characterized by, causing, or expressing sadness, dejection, etc

Other Word Forms

• melancholily adverb
• melancholiness noun
• unmelancholy adjective

Etymology

Origin of melancholy

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English melancholie, from Late Latin melancholia, from Greek melancholía ”condition of having black bile,” equivalent to melan- “black” + chol(ḗ) “bile, gall” + -ia noun suffix; melan(o)-, chol-, -ia

Example Sentences

There’s something fundamentally melancholy, though, about all this looking back.

From New York Times

It’s been mentally draining, they said, “bringing up a lot of melancholy and somberness.”

From Los Angeles Times

His interpretation is a far cry from the melancholy old magician who intones Shakespeare’s poetry with the grave solemnity of John Gielgud, who put his indelible stamp on the role.

From Los Angeles Times

The song has had an endless afterlife, and a broad influence, for its precise chemistry of melancholy, suspense and propulsion.

From New York Times

“But most of those are all gone at this point. There’s a certain melancholy when you talk about these places.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• boredom
• despair
• desperation
• despondency
• ennui
• gloom
• grief
• sorrow
• wistfulness