adjective
-
of or relating to melody
-
of or relating to a part in a piece of music
-
tuneful or melodious
Other Word Forms
- melodically adverb
- nonmelodic adjective
- nonmelodically adverb
- unmelodic adjective
- unmelodically adverb
Etymology
Origin of melodic
1815–25; < Late Latin melōdicus < Greek melōidikós. See melody, -ic
Explanation
Something that's tuneful or pretty to listen to is melodic. If your French teacher has a friendly smile and a melodic voice, you could probably sit and listen to her talk for hours. Anything sweet sounding — a bird's trill, a poet's voice, or the tune you sing in the shower — is melodic. A more technical meaning of the word is "containing melody," the definition a professional musician might use. Melody is a quality of music defined as "tunefulness" or "a satisfying series of notes." Music teachers play melodic patterns for their students to duplicate, and composers sometimes combine melodic phrases to form a symphony. The Greek root of melodic is melos, or "song."
Vocabulary lists containing melodic
Music - Middle School
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Music - High School
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"Superman and Me" and "A Smart Cookie/It's Our Story, Too"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Although his work has evolved to include more melodic soundscapes, Subtronics remains committed to bringing more people to a better understanding of the genre that first brought his life into focus.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026
For Bennett, the emergence of modern country music in the early 2000s -- with a highly polished, more pop sound and repeated "melodic shapes" -- is key.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
In terms of atmosphere and melodic construction, Simon & Garfunkel’s “For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her” and “Kathy’s Song” are decent reference points.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
It was melodic and haunting, even as the world waited for the “shock and awe” to begin.
From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026
Bruckner’s third symphony of 1873 was dedicated to Wagner and in its first version contained melodic quotations from his idol’s operas.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
