plural melodies
1
: a sweet or agreeable succession or arrangement of sounds
whilst all the winds with melody are ringing—
P. B. Shelley
P. B. Shelley2
: a rhythmic succession of single tones organized as an aesthetic whole
a hummable melody
the piper's fingers play the melody on a pipe called a chanter—Pat Cahill
Pat CahillExamples of melody in a Sentence
He wrote a piece that includes some beautiful melodies.
a composer known for his love of melody
He sang a few old melodies.
Recent Examples on the Web
Wilson began the performance by playing the song’s familiar melody on his guitar before wrapping the anthem in baritone vocal notes.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025
When the melody feels right and is looping in my mind, or playing and singing dummy vocals over and over, certain words start to appear.
—Frank Digiacomo, Billboard, 24 Apr. 2025
Soft melodies in the background are also key to a cozy dining atmosphere.
—Isabella Milano, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Apr. 2025
Everybody in the band understands what the harmonic structure of each tune is, what the chords are, the melody and dynamic of the song.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for melody
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Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025
When the melody feels right and is looping in my mind, or playing and singing dummy vocals over and over, certain words start to appear.
—Frank Digiacomo, Billboard, 24 Apr. 2025
Soft melodies in the background are also key to a cozy dining atmosphere.
—Isabella Milano, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Apr. 2025
Everybody in the band understands what the harmonic structure of each tune is, what the chords are, the melody and dynamic of the song.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for melody
Cite this Entry
“Melody.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/melody. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
melody
noun
mel·o·dy
ˈmel-əd-ē 
plural melodies
1
: a pleasing succession of sounds
2
: a series of musical tones arranged to give a pleasing effect
3
: the leading part in a musical composition involving harmony
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