plural melodies
1
: a sweet or agreeable succession or arrangement of sounds
… whilst all the winds with melody are ringing.—
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Percy Bysshe 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
And why in the world would anyone composing after the Second World War reëmbrace the long-irrelevant late-Romantic idiom of Puccini and Strauss, with its lush harmonies, rich orchestration, and powerful melodies?
—Russell Platt, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
Despite the grimness of the scene, the tone of the song is peppy and disorientingly pretty, with a shivery Dorian twist in its churning melody.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 19 May 2026
This is also Zvyagintsev’s first adaptation of pre-existing material, but the reworking feels more like a jazz virtuoso covering another artist’s tune, tweaking the rhythm, changing the key, and finding in the melody a whole new set of feelings.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2026
But the group faced widespread backlash, as well, particularly the choice of melody for the chant.
—Miami Herald, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for melody
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Russell Platt, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
Despite the grimness of the scene, the tone of the song is peppy and disorientingly pretty, with a shivery Dorian twist in its churning melody.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 19 May 2026
This is also Zvyagintsev’s first adaptation of pre-existing material, but the reworking feels more like a jazz virtuoso covering another artist’s tune, tweaking the rhythm, changing the key, and finding in the melody a whole new set of feelings.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2026
But the group faced widespread backlash, as well, particularly the choice of melody for the chant.
—Miami Herald, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for melody
Cite this Entry
“Melody.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/melody. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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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