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:
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
He meets the younger singer on her turf: The track is a theatrical pop confection with a busy, singsong melody, and Mr. Smith’s ageless cracked moan makes him sound like an approving father figure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
“GAS STATION” pairs a frenetic synth melody reminiscent of Crystal Castles with lyrics about abandonment.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
Even now, his gift for melody is undimmed.
From BBC ● May 27, 2026
We hear all of the “parts” which we think of as music—rhythm, pitch, melody, form, etc.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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
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
Also at the hotel on Monday evening was migration agent Melody Naghmeh Danai, on standby to assist those choosing to stay about their options.
From BBC ● Mar. 11, 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
“Can Melody stay a little longer to study? I’ll give her dinner and bring her home in a couple of hours. That will give you some one-on-one time with Penny.”
From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper
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
"The lyrics come much easier than the melodies," she says.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Their lead single “Fabienk” is studded with hair-trigger riffs — if you can even call them that — that mix the playful nursery rhyme melodies of Battles with the no-wave drone of Sonic Youth.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 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
These themes are often complete melodies with many phrases, but a single phrase can be taken from the melody and used as a motif.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
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.
