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melancholy

[ mel-uhn-kol-ee ]
/ ˈmɛl ənˌkɒl i /
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noun, plural mel·an·chol·ies.
a gloomy state of mind, especially when habitual or prolonged; depression.
sober thoughtfulness; pensiveness.
Archaic.
  1. the condition of having too much black bile, considered in ancient and medieval medicine to cause gloominess and depression.
  2. black bile.
adjective
affected with, characterized by, or showing melancholy; mournful; depressed: a melancholy mood.
causing melancholy or sadness; saddening: a melancholy occasion.
soberly thoughtful; pensive.

VIDEO FOR MELANCHOLY

The Bizarre Origin Of The Word "Melancholy"

The meaning of melancholy was never a good thing, but it was way worse in medieval times … kind of like everything else back then when I think about it, actually.

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Origin of melancholy

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 FROM melancholy

mel·an·chol·i·ly, adverbmel·an·chol·i·ness, nounun·mel·an·chol·y, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use melancholy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for melancholy

melancholy
/ (ˈmɛlənkəlɪ) /

noun plural -cholies
a constitutional tendency to gloominess or depression
a sad thoughtful state of mind; pensiveness
archaic
  1. a gloomy character, thought to be caused by too much black bile
  2. one of the four bodily humours; black bileSee humour (def. 8)
adjective
characterized by, causing, or expressing sadness, dejection, etc

Derived forms of melancholy

melancholily (ˈmɛlənˌkɒlɪlɪ), adverbmelancholiness, noun

Word Origin for melancholy

C14: via Old French from Late Latin melancholia, from Greek melankholia, from melas black + kholē bile
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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