adjective
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of or relating to melody
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of or relating to a part in a piece of music
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tuneful or melodious
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of melodic
1815–25; < Late Latin melōdicus < Greek melōidikós. See melody, -ic
Explanation
Something that's tuneful or pretty to listen to is melodic. If your French teacher has a friendly smile and a melodic voice, you could probably sit and listen to her talk for hours. Anything sweet sounding — a bird's trill, a poet's voice, or the tune you sing in the shower — is melodic. A more technical meaning of the word is "containing melody," the definition a professional musician might use. Melody is a quality of music defined as "tunefulness" or "a satisfying series of notes." Music teachers play melodic patterns for their students to duplicate, and composers sometimes combine melodic phrases to form a symphony. The Greek root of melodic is melos, or "song."
Vocabulary lists containing melodic
Music - Middle School
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Music - High School
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"Superman and Me" and "A Smart Cookie/It's Our Story, Too"
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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.
There are catchy songs, and then there are melodic arrangements that capture a feeling.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
Ryonex has emerged as one of the most notable names in Japan’s new generation of futuristic trap and melodic drill.
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026
Rideaux, who is known for his smooth auto-tune sound, serves as the melodic anchor on the album, while Hussle delivers his sharp, plainspoken vocal delivery.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
In the late 2010s, a melodic branch of rap emerged that featured layered voices borrowed from rock acts like Alice in Chains and the desperation of the punk offshoot originally known as emotional hardcore.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
I hear the melodic “ameens” and add my own.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
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.
