JISUPOSTEnglish
ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Melancholy

/ˈmɛlənkəli/ · noun

Meaning

(historical) Black bile, formerly thought to be one of the four "cardinal humours" of animal bodies..

Definitions by Sense

  1. (historical) Black bile, formerly thought to be one of the four "cardinal humours" of animal bodies.
  2. Great sadness or depression, especially of a thoughtful or introspective nature.
  3. (literary) Affected with great sadness or depression.
  4. Suggestive of wistfulness or subdued emotion.

Example Sentences

Melancholy, cold and dry, thick, black, and sour, […] is a bridle to the other two hot humours, blood and choler, preserving them in the blood, and nourishing the bones.
As to Ernest... He is quite as nervously broken down as I am but it manifests itself in different ways. His inclination is towards megalomania and mine towards melancholy.
My mind was troubled with deep melancholy.
I have neither the scholar’s melancholy, which is emulation; nor the musician’s, which is fantastical; nor the courtier’s, which is proud; nor the soldier’s, which is ambitious; nor the lawyer’s, which is politic; nor the lady’s, which is nice; nor the lover’s, which is all these; but it is a melancholy of mine own, compounded of many simples, extracted from many objects, and, indeed, the sundry contemplation of my travels; in which my often rumination wraps me in a most humorous sadness.
"The ancients referred melancholy to the mind, the moderns make it matter of digestion—to either case my plan applies," said Lady Mandeville.
Melancholy people don't talk much.
[…] he is melancholy without cause, and merry against the hair: […]
“[…] the awfully hearty sort of Christmas cards that people do send to other people that they don't know at all well. […] And then, when you see [the senders], you probably find that they are the most melancholy old folk with malignant diseases. […]”

Synonyms for melancholy

despondencymiserybluenesstristessemirthlessbluescrestfallennessdejectiondepressiondistressdolefulnessdownheartednessdreariheadforlornnessgriefheartsoreill-beinginfelicitymelancholiamelancholymishappinessmournprosternationregretrueruthsadnesssorrowsorrowfulnesstristfulness

Antonyms for melancholy

Related Words

black bilemelancholicsadbluegloomydepressedwoeacutenostalgicabsenceathymiagloomdejectiondespondencydepressionsadnesssorrowsombernessgloominesslugubriousness

Word Forms

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

Practice and Learn More

Add this word and synonyms to Word SearchSynonyms and antonymsBetter words by context

Frequently Asked Questions

What does melancholy mean?

Melancholy means (historical) Black bile, formerly thought to be one of the four "cardinal humours" of animal bodies..

What is a synonym for melancholy?

Common synonyms include despondency, misery, blueness, tristesse.

What is the opposite of melancholy?

The opposite depends on the specific sense.

How do you use melancholy in a sentence?

Melancholy, cold and dry, thick, black, and sour, […] is a bridle to the other two hot humours, blood and choler, preserving them in the blood, and nourishing the bones.

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.