melody
noun
musical sounds in agreeable succession or arrangement.
melody
1 American
[mel-uh-dee]
/ ˈmɛl ə di /
noun
melodies
plural
-
musical sounds in agreeable succession or arrangement.
-
Music.
-
the succession of single tones in musical compositions, as distinguished from harmony and rhythm.
-
the principal part in a harmonic composition; the air.
-
a rhythmical succession of single tones producing a distinct musical phrase or idea.
-
-
a poem suitable for singing.
-
intonation, as of a segment of connected speech.
Melody
2
American
[mel-uh-dee]
/ ˈmɛl ə di /
noun
melody
British
/ ˈmɛlədɪ /
noun
-
music
-
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence; tune
-
the horizontally represented aspect of the structure of a piece of music Compare harmony
-
-
sounds that are pleasant because of tone or arrangement, esp words of poetry
Synonym Usage
See harmony.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of melody
1250–1300; Middle English melodie from Medieval Latin melōdia from Greek melōidía “(choral) singing,” equivalent to mel- ( see melic) + -ōid- ( see ode) + -ia -y 3
Explanation
In any musical composition, there is a dominant line that creates a tone pattern known as the piece's melody. There are specific rules for the musical composition of a melody, and most fall into regular patterns. The ancient Greek word melōidía was used to denote a tune for lyric poetry. It was derived from melos, which meant "song." In most songs, the melody follows a logical, mathematical pattern that creates a memorable line of notes. The word suggests a beautiful and pleasant sound, as was celebrated in the 1946 Irving Berlin lyrics, "A pretty girl is like a melody that haunts you night and day."
Vocabulary lists containing melody
First-Name Basis: Words That Are Also Names
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Weary Blues" by Langston Hughes
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Music - Introductory
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
“I’d be like, ‘Oh, what about this melody?’
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
“GAS STATION” pairs a frenetic synth melody reminiscent of Crystal Castles with lyrics about abandonment.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
Even now, his gift for melody is undimmed.
From BBC ● May 27, 2026
Upon their arrival at the court, the man, identified by authorities as Marc B., had twice shouted "I love you" in French, while the boy’s mother, identified as Marine R., hummed a melody.
From Barron's ● May 23, 2026
Having students hum the melody rather than singing words helps them hear the melody separately from the lyrics.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Abby Mayers and her wife Melody, both 22, live in Cheshire and usually walk their cat Olive in Erddig, Wrexham and Llangollen, Denbighshire.
From BBC ● Apr. 5, 2026
There were six members in the original line-up, but Jessica Sutta, Carmit Bachar and Melody Thornton are not part of this reunion.
From BBC ● Mar. 12, 2026
Soon I worked as a backstage assistant at the Cape Cod Melody Tent and danced in the chorus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026
Times staff writer Melody Gutierrez contributed to this story.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 2026
“My pleasure, Mrs. Brooks. Melody is a delight, and I’m amazed she’s been able to achieve as well as she has.”
From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper
People still marvel at Miyazaki’s handcrafted backgrounds and his painstaking dedication to balancing its feather-light score with the melodies of flowing water or the gentle crunch of a child’s footfalls on grass and gravel.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
Djawadi also returned to write the melodies, with lyrics written by Parker.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
Their lead single “Fabienk” is studded with hair-trigger riffs — if you can even call them that — that mix the playful nursery rhyme melodies of Battles with the no-wave drone of Sonic Youth.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
A source of wonder throughout the collection, though, is Mr. McCartney’s continued ability, some 70 years after he wrote his first song, to pull fresh, original and memorable melodies out of the air.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
As the name implies, atonal music treats all notes and harmonies as equal and in fact tries to avoid melodies and harmonies that will make the piece sound tonal.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
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.
