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• melody
  melody

  noun

  musical sounds in agreeable succession or arrangement.
• Melody
  Melody

  noun

  a female given name.

melody

¹ American  

[mel-uh-dee] / ˈmɛl ə di /

noun

melodies plural

1. musical sounds in agreeable succession or arrangement.

2. Music.

   1. the succession of single tones in musical compositions, as distinguished from harmony and rhythm.

   2. the principal part in a harmonic composition; the air.

   3. a rhythmical succession of single tones producing a distinct musical phrase or idea.

   Synonyms:

   theme, descant, song, tune

3. a poem suitable for singing.

4. intonation, as of a segment of connected speech.

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Melody ² American  

[mel-uh-dee] / ˈmɛl ə di /

noun

1. a female given name.

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melody British  

/ ˈmɛlədɪ /

noun

1. music

   1. a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence; tune

   2. the horizontally represented aspect of the structure of a piece of music Compare harmony

2. sounds that are pleasant because of tone or arrangement, esp words of poetry

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Synonym Usage

See harmony.

Other Word Forms

• melodyless
  adjective
• undermelody
  noun

Etymology

Origin of melody

1250–1300; Middle English melodie from Medieval Latin melōdia from Greek melōidía “(choral) singing,” equivalent to mel- ( see melic) + -ōid- ( see ode) + -ia -y ³

Explanation

In any musical composition, there is a dominant line that creates a tone pattern known as the piece's melody. There are specific rules for the musical composition of a melody, and most fall into regular patterns. The ancient Greek word melōidía was used to denote a tune for lyric poetry. It was derived from melos, which meant "song." In most songs, the melody follows a logical, mathematical pattern that creates a memorable line of notes. The word suggests a beautiful and pleasant sound, as was celebrated in the 1946 Irving Berlin lyrics, "A pretty girl is like a melody that haunts you night and day."

Example Sentences

Even now, his gift for melody is undimmed.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

You’ve said the problem with modern pop is that there’s no melody anymore.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

Lines like “I love you, I love the Lord” arrive with syllables modified to fit the shape of an eerie melody, transforming the natural musicality of speech into something uncanny.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

Upon their arrival at the court, the man, identified by authorities as Marc B., had twice shouted "I love you" in French, while the boy’s mother, identified as Marine R., hummed a melody.

From Barron's • May 23, 2026

Before teaching it, ask students to listen carefully to something in the song’s phrasing, repetition, rhythm, melody, timbre, lyrics, dynamics, rests, mood or affect, etc.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Related Words

• chant
• lyric
• music
• refrain
• theme