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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

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

See Examples For:

melody Melody melodies

I do believe that in writing, there is a rhythm and melody within a sentence, just like there’s a narrative arc in a guitar solo.”

From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026

The hazy love melody “Tremenda,” for example, underscores an intense yearning for connection.

From Los Angeles Times ● 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

The ambiguity in the lyrics allied to the familiar, easy melody, Harrison believes, allows fans to "express an outpouring of love without necessarily specifying what it's towards".

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

As the melody progresses, the pitches may go up or down slowly or quickly.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

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

There were six members in the original line-up, but Jessica Sutta, Carmit Bachar and Melody Thornton are not part of this reunion.

From BBC ● Mar. 12, 2026

Soon I worked as a backstage assistant at the Cape Cod Melody Tent and danced in the chorus.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026

Immie whispered in Jule’s ear, “Melody, and then Bacon. Melody Bacon.”

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart

There are bulletproof pop melodies, gentle riffs, solid construction, and engaging stories.

From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026

When I was 11, I would lock myself in my room and play the James Bond soundtracks with those lethal John Barry melodies and the larger-than-life voices of Shirley Bassey and Nancy Sinatra.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

Although Samuel came to the studio with the structure for his songs already in place, they worked on melodies and writing in Spanish together, since this was his first time penning lyrics in the language.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 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

The port band sent soldiers off with “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “Carolina in My Mind,” “La Marseillaise”—the melodies of a hundred different hearts and hometowns.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Related Words

• chant
• lyric
• music
• refrain
• theme