melody
noun
musical sounds in agreeable succession or arrangement.
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melody
1 American
[mel-uh-dee]
/ ˈmɛl ə di /
noun
melodies
plural
-
musical sounds in agreeable succession or arrangement.
-
Music.
-
the succession of single tones in musical compositions, as distinguished from harmony and rhythm.
-
the principal part in a harmonic composition; the air.
-
a rhythmical succession of single tones producing a distinct musical phrase or idea.
-
-
a poem suitable for singing.
-
intonation, as of a segment of connected speech.
Melody
2
American
[mel-uh-dee]
/ ˈmɛl ə di /
noun
melody
British
/ ˈmɛlədɪ /
noun
-
music
-
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence; tune
-
the horizontally represented aspect of the structure of a piece of music Compare harmony
-
-
sounds that are pleasant because of tone or arrangement, esp words of poetry
Synonym Usage
See harmony.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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."
Vocabulary lists containing melody
First-Name Basis: Words That Are Also Names
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"The Weary Blues" by Langston Hughes
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Music - Introductory
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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.
See Examples For:
"I didn't understand the lyrics, but the melody was so good, it made you feel excited. Everyone followed along," Gyu-ri, 26, says.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
When seeking out new songs, Clark said it was "always the melody" that caught her ear, "because melody is international".
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
“I’d be like, ‘Oh, what about this melody?’
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
A melody or groove from the bold yet accessible original popped up here and there and then, just as quickly, disappeared like an object afloat on roiling waters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
Goodness, the crooked stairway is a musical scale of a most unfortunate melody.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
Melody Xu is a rising senior at Northwestern University, where she’s studying journalism and serving as managing editor of the Daily Northwestern.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026
Felicia Smith listens to Melody Godfred recite poems from her book “Moon Garden.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2026
He also formed the Casual Club Quintet, earning an honourable mention in Melody Maker, one of Britain's most influential music weeklies.
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026
Abby Mayers and her wife Melody, both 22, live in Cheshire and usually walk their cat Olive in Erddig, Wrexham and Llangollen, Denbighshire.
From BBC ● Apr. 5, 2026
“Yes, but—” “Read the questions to the students just as you had planned. They’ll write their answers on notebook paper. Melody will record her answers, then print them out for you.”
From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper
Built around chopped-up guitar samples and acid-burned melodies, it finds the star dissecting her relationship to art and fame after Brat transformed her from cult favourite to mainstream star.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
People still marvel at Miyazaki’s handcrafted backgrounds and his painstaking dedication to balancing its feather-light score with the melodies of flowing water or the gentle crunch of a child’s footfalls on grass and gravel.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
While Ms. Rodrigo draws from rock and pop’s past for arrangements, her melodies always have a post-2010s shape.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
Ma’s greatest challenge, which he meets with wonderful musicianship, is to make Negrón’s engaging melodies, grand swaths of arpeggios, and simple patterns alluring.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
I work hard at it, always trying to find the right melodies and harmonies.
From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper
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.
