melancholic
Americanadjective
-
disposed to or affected with melancholy; gloomy.
-
of, relating to, or affected with melancholia.
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of melancholic
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English melancolik, from Latin melancholicus, from Greek melancholikós; see melancholy, -ic
Explanation
Melancholic describes sadness, or a person who feels this way. Planning to go out dancing after seeing that melancholic movie? Don't be surprised if you feel more like sitting quietly, thinking, instead. Melancholic means thoughtfully sad — your summer could be melancholic if you spent the whole season feeling blue, or you might have a melancholic friend who seems sad even when he swears he's having a good time. The Greek root melankholia means sadness, but it also means black bile, a bodily secretion believed in Medieval physiology to cause people to feel melancholic.
Vocabulary lists containing melancholic
The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 8
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I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
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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.
For centuries the finest medical minds harped on attuning a balance among the four humors—sanguine, choleric, melancholic and phlegmatic—in tender young constitutions by adjusting the proportions of hot-cold and moist-dry elements in the diet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
The pair previously gave the melancholic ballad its live debut, performing it together during Fender's gig at the London Stadium - home of Dean's team West Ham United.
From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2026
In effect, Bublé wins the holiday-music race by virtue of his entire seasonal catalog, with lighter and melancholic songs alike.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 24, 2025
Guðnadóttir wrote a wistful, melancholic theme for Hedda that is often played by solo trumpet, and which she turned into an end credits song with lyrics by director Nia DaCosta.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 1, 2025
He was, in addition, by all accounts, morbidly melancholic, given to fits of severe depression.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
