melody
1 Americannoun
plural
melodies-
musical sounds in agreeable succession or arrangement.
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Music.
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the succession of single tones in musical compositions, as distinguished from harmony and rhythm.
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the principal part in a harmonic composition; the air.
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a rhythmical succession of single tones producing a distinct musical phrase or idea.
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a poem suitable for singing.
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intonation, as of a segment of connected speech.
noun
noun
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music
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a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence; tune
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the horizontally represented aspect of the structure of a piece of music Compare harmony
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sounds that are pleasant because of tone or arrangement, esp words of poetry
Related Words
See harmony.
Other Word Forms
- melodyless adjective
- undermelody noun
Etymology
Origin of melody
1250–1300; Middle English melodie from Medieval Latin melōdia from Greek melōidía “(choral) singing,” equivalent to mel- ( melic ) + -ōid- ( ode ) + -ia -y 3
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.
But the singer’s tender melody and eye for detail convey the anguish at the heart of the story.
But the sharp melody sliced the cold air around me like a knife.
From Literature
People with musical anhedonia can recognize and process melodies without difficulty, showing that the auditory system itself is functioning normally -- they simply do not feel pleasure from the experience.
From Science Daily
On the other, he's a flawless pop star who gives those songs catchy melodies and polished production, and performs them with swagger in sparkly suits.
From BBC
Spoken-word post-punk works best when the band surrounding the vocalist has an acute feel for melody—without a singer dispensing catchy musical phrases, the instrumentalists have to pick up the slack.
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.
