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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits
the bleakness of winter sometimes gives me cause for melancholy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of melancholy
Matthew Chin,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 22 Mar. 2026
Also emotional, sometimes spirited, and other times melancholy are the songs, which Cotillard lip-synced.
—Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Fanning’s name was the first called when nominations were announced, signaling that Scandinavian melancholy would be notably absent that morning.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for melancholy
Adjective
But for Bo Chen, senior research fellow from the National University of Singapore’s East Asian Institute, this sense of melancholy forms only part of the story.
—Matthew Chin,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 22 Mar. 2026
Also emotional, sometimes spirited, and other times melancholy are the songs, which Cotillard lip-synced.
—Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
Noun
The story, of course, has a deep vein of sadness and melancholy running through it.
—Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Fanning’s name was the first called when nominations were announced, signaling that Scandinavian melancholy would be notably absent that morning.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for melancholy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melancholy
Adjective
-
There were enough people in the room who were sad about the kid.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
2 Apr. 2026
-
And that’s really sad, because the latest gen is a genuinely fantastic car.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Single bunnies can be lonely and depressed.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
There was also research, which Meta eventually halted, implying that people who curbed their use of Facebook became less depressed and anxious.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Wisdom, compassion, and thoughtful policy are necessary over the question of transgenderism more generally.—
Lisa Frizell,
Denver Post,
6 Apr. 2026
-
In addition to having more time to craft thoughtful responses, this also gives you more time to, well, live your life!—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Relieved of their blindfolds, the men now wore heavy rucksacks filled with colored rocks representing their anger (red), guilt and shame (black), and sadness (blue).—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Reaction to the news Monday that the Connecticut Sun WNBA team is officially being moved to Houston was of sadness and regret in Connecticut, especially amongst those who had tried to keep the professional women’s basketball team in the state over the last year.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Knicks went on to defeat the tanking, depleted Grizzlies handily, a 130-119 win good enough to snap a depressing three-game losing streak against the Charlotte Hornets, Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Far from a depressing gray room located in a basement, The Bridge and its massive windows put a spotlight on the natural beauty of Hong Kong.—
Matt Ortile,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The 28-year-old receiver is reportedly unhappy with his situation in Philadelphia, despite winning a Super Bowl a little over a year ago.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
-
But there may be an answer, or at least a compromise that will satisfy those unhappy with the idea of destroying a usable building.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Her portrayals – reflective of real people – will live on in television history for their honesty, wit and charm.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Both will be surrounded by streaks of bright, reflective material that were cast out during the violent asteroid impacts that formed the craters.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This sharp satire of the entertainment industry tackles serious issues like addiction and depression while never skimping on the jokes.—
Andrew Walsh,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Apr. 2026
-
In 2024, Ryyan was diagnosed with depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD.—
Kennedy Cook,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Melancholy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melancholy. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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