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Synonyms

melody

1 American  
[mel-uh-dee] / ˈmɛl ə di /

noun

plural

melodies

  1. musical sounds in agreeable succession or arrangement.

  2. Music.

    1. the succession of single tones in musical compositions, as distinguished from harmony and rhythm.

    2. the principal part in a harmonic composition; the air.

    3. a rhythmical succession of single tones producing a distinct musical phrase or idea.

    Synonyms:
    theme, descant, song, tune

  3. a poem suitable for singing.

  4. intonation, as of a segment of connected speech.

Melody 2 American  
[mel-uh-dee] / ˈmɛl ə di /

noun

  1. a female given name.

melody British  
/ ˈmɛlədɪ /

noun

  1. music

    1. a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence; tune

    2. the horizontally represented aspect of the structure of a piece of music Compare harmony

  2. sounds that are pleasant because of tone or arrangement, esp words of poetry

"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

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.

Mr. Hedges invents a lilting melody for “Pinto,” a lyric that had been collected by Lomax, and has honored accordion player Josh Baca take the lead on the Mexican-tinged sound.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

He goes in for proclamatory melody, each note an event, when punched out by brass and lower string like hammering spikes in the ground.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

As the melody plays, the trailer shows the students sailing to the United States before cutting to BTS at Seoul's Gyeongbokgung Palace -- the backdrop for Saturday's concert.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

But it’s fun nonetheless to hear his busy breakbeats coursing through “Season 2 Weight Loss,” a tune whose words and melody are as banal as its title.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

Children are introduced to key musical elements such as meter, dynamics, rhythms, tempo, duration, melody, form, phrase, and pitch.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

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.