1
as in sad
causing unhappiness
the melancholy thought of having to say good-bye to all the friends he had made over the summer
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in depressed
feeling unhappiness
they were a bit melancholy after their youngest child left for college
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3
as in thoughtful
given to or marked by long, quiet thinking
a melancholy period in the artist's life that is reflected in his work
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as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits
the bleakness of winter sometimes gives me cause for melancholy
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of melancholy
Keith Phipps, Vulture, 18 July 2025
It’s hushed, melancholy and rending in all the best ways.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 16 July 2025
Jeff Benjamin, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
The outcome isn’t as fondly remembered as other King adaptations like Carrie or The Shining, but using the familiar zombie structure to comment on the universal fear and melancholy over death makes Pet Sematary a thoughtful, lurid affair.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for melancholy
Adjective
Filmed in snowy Vancouver and set to some of the most melancholy songs Leonard Cohen ever recorded, the film lets a sense of fatalism hang over even its lightest moments.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 18 July 2025
It’s hushed, melancholy and rending in all the best ways.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 16 July 2025
Noun
There’s a melancholy in the melody, but at the same time, the rap and vocals really pull out the raw emotion.
—Jeff Benjamin, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
The outcome isn’t as fondly remembered as other King adaptations like Carrie or The Shining, but using the familiar zombie structure to comment on the universal fear and melancholy over death makes Pet Sematary a thoughtful, lurid affair.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for melancholy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melancholy
Adjective
-
The sad reality is that Lucky really hasn't had all that much luck in his life to date.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 July 2025
-
Collins, who has previously celebrated the unique pleasures of the early dinner, finds something to like about lunch in all its guises—the power lunch, the liquid lunch, even the sad desk lunch.—
Ian Crouch,
New Yorker,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
Now Ortberg’s plan to gradually raise the severely depressed production of its cash cow Max is showing green shoots, but to ensure dominance in the next decade, Boeing’s top chance at besting Airbus is designing and successfully commercializing a totally new and disruptive 737 successor.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
2 Aug. 2025
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Researchers think this effect could buffer against or repair some of the weaker ties between neurons in a depressed brain.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
Firing off hundreds of identical applications and CVs is unlikely to land you that dream role, so every application needs a thoughtful approach.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
-
The overall design is quietly elegant and minimalist, with thoughtful details throughout each floor.—
Kristen Tauer,
Footwear News,
28 July 2025
Adjective
-
For women, the situation is even more depressing with 90% of women excluded from the workforce, unable to work outside their homes.—
Natasha Lindstaedt,
Forbes.com,
17 July 2025
-
And blame can be depressing; accepting responsibility for something that went terribly wrong is often painful and embarrassing.—
Olga Khazan,
The Atlantic,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
Galino is unhappy with how Jimenez is running his territory, and thinks Tommy can help the cartel get into the oil business.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
27 July 2025
-
Things will become much clearer once Jenkins — who is unhappy with his current contract is currently sidelined with a back injury — begins practicing.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
27 July 2025
Adjective
-
Police said Cruz-Sanchez was wearing a reflective safety vest at the time and was throwing trash into the trailer, which featured flashing lights and an arrow indicator.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
30 July 2025
-
Elevated, sure, and reflective of a market pricing in plenty of positives.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
26 July 2025
Noun
-
The documentary was completed prior to Joel’s recent diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus, but there are candid assessments of other struggles he’s endured, including depression, bankruptcy and alcoholism.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
25 July 2025
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The National Hurricane Center continued Friday to track a low pressure system in the Gulf and said in its 8 p.m. advisory that development into the season’s next tropical depression or storm is no longer expected.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
The mournful notes of taps echoed through rainy Bronx neighborhood Thursday afternoon as six New York Police Department officers shouldered the casket of one of their own: Officer Didarul Islam.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
31 July 2025
-
This second feature from filmmaker Frederik Louis Hviid is well-paced, tense, lovely to look at, and threaded through with a mournful realism.—
Taylor Antrim,
Vogue,
21 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Melancholy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melancholy. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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