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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

plural

melodies

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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Related Words

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

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

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

Melody says her daughter is much more than the soccer player you see on the field.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 3, 2026

“People love you because you’re Melody, not because of what you can or cannot do. Give us a little credit.”

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

Related Words

• chant
• lyric
• music
• refrain
• theme