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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

Derived Forms

• undermelody
  noun
• melodyless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• melodies
  plural

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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

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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

See Examples For:

melody Melody melodies

As Beethoven does in his violin concerto, Bruch uses virtuosic passagework only insofar as it enables us to better know the melody.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

The melody lines of the bass in R.E.M. songs are singularly melodic and distinctive, with a fluidity that makes them seem simple when they are not.

From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026

The song’s outro is equally as intoxicating, referencing the lyrics and melody of its apparent brother track, “Beat Up Chanel$.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

Her stresses fall where speech would place them, and Kern’s melody only deepens their meaning.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Using a combined approach, begin by having the melody group sing the melody, while the ostinati groups come in one at a time using speech only.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Eighth grader Erick works on a morning activity during eighth grade teacher Melody Stambaugh’s class.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

Eighth grade teacher Melody Stambaugh speaks with eighth grader Amber during their morning meeting at Scholarship Prep - South Bay.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

Still, the home failed to sell, prompting the musician—who is married to fashion designer Melody Ehsani—to slash his ask once more in March 2024, this time to $6.8 million.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

"Everybody's lonely at some point, but some people are not OK admitting that," says Professor Melody Ding, an epidemiologist researching social connection and loneliness at the University of Sydney.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026

“Ooh, here’s the part about you. Listen to this! ‘One outstanding member of the Spaulding team is Melody Brooks, an eleven-year-old who has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper

Players can now hum ocarina melodies themselves to trigger certain in-game actions.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

"I walk around in circles to get the melodies, to catch them," the Australian singer says.

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026

Testing sound mixes at home with his daughter, he learned to balance the heavy beat with clear vocal tracks and familiar melodies so toddlers could still recognize the song.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

“Who Is The Sky?,” which Byrne made with the producer Kid Harpoon, contrasts deep lyrics about art, home and enlightenment with bright pop arrangements filled with crisp grooves and singalong melodies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

Partner songs are slightly more challenging to sing in that they use different melodies.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

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Related Words

• chant
• lyric
• music
• refrain
• theme

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