melancholic
Americanadjective
-
disposed to or affected with melancholy; gloomy.
-
of, relating to, or affected with melancholia.
Other Word Forms
- melancholically adverb
- unmelancholic adjective
- unmelancholically adverb
Etymology
Origin of melancholic
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English melancolik, from Latin melancholicus, from Greek melancholikós; melancholy, -ic
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In “The Rest of Our Lives,” Tom is a modern melancholic, and some of the stops on his journey are to see people he wistfully associates with his youth.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025
In effect, Bublé wins the holiday-music race by virtue of his entire seasonal catalog, with lighter and melancholic songs alike.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 24, 2025
Andrew Panton, who owns the aircraft and the centre, is melancholic.
From BBC • Nov. 9, 2025
Meanwhile, the Romans lose all desire to fight upon hearing the melancholic "fado" Portuguese music.
From Barron's • Oct. 23, 2025
He was, in addition, by all accounts, morbidly melancholic, given to fits of severe depression.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
