melancholy

[ mel-uhn-kol-ee ]
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noun,plural mel·an·chol·ies.
  1. a gloomy state of mind, especially when habitual or prolonged; depression.

  2. sober thoughtfulness; pensiveness.

  1. Archaic.

    • the condition of having too much black bile, considered in ancient and medieval medicine to cause gloominess and depression.

    • black bile.

adjective
  1. affected with, characterized by, or showing melancholy; mournful; depressed: a melancholy mood.

  2. causing melancholy or sadness; saddening: a melancholy occasion.

  1. soberly thoughtful; pensive.

Origin of melancholy

1
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English melancholie, from Late Latin melancholia, from Greek melancholía ”condition of having black bile,” equivalent to melan- “black” + chol(ḗ) “bile, gall” + -ia noun suffix; see origin at melan(o)-, chol-, -ia

Other words for melancholy

Opposites for melancholy

Other words from melancholy

  • mel·an·chol·i·ly, adverb
  • mel·an·chol·i·ness, noun
  • un·mel·an·chol·y, adjective

Words Nearby melancholy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use melancholy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for melancholy

melancholy

/ (ˈmɛlənkəlɪ) /


nounplural -cholies
  1. a constitutional tendency to gloominess or depression

  2. a sad thoughtful state of mind; pensiveness

  1. archaic

    • a gloomy character, thought to be caused by too much black bile

    • one of the four bodily humours; black bile: See humour (def. 8)

adjective
  1. characterized by, causing, or expressing sadness, dejection, etc

Origin of melancholy

1
C14: via Old French from Late Latin melancholia, from Greek melankholia, from melas black + kholē bile

Derived forms of melancholy

  • melancholily (ˈmɛlənˌkɒlɪlɪ), adverb
  • melancholiness, noun

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