melody

¹

[mel-uh-dee]

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

[mel-uh-dee]

noun

1. a female given name.

melody

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• melodyless adjective
• undermelody noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of melody¹

1250–1300; Middle English melodie from Medieval Latin melōdia from Greek melōidía “(choral) singing,” equivalent to mel- ( melic ) + -ōid- ( ode ) + -ia -y ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of melody¹

C13: from Old French, from Late Latin melōdia, from Greek melōidia singing, from melos song + -ōidia, from aoidein to sing

Synonym Study

See harmony.

Example Sentences

His lively melodies about love, hope and despair - embellished with catchy riffs - brought a breath of fresh air to an otherwise tense social milieu.

From BBC

As unlikely as the tour seemed on paper, Blur's penchant for storytelling about everyday British life - punctuated by some bouncy guitar-driven pop melodies - made them a perfect fit for a quintessential seaside jaunt.

From BBC

He's performing traditional Uzbek melodies to a modern beat and playing a doira, the ancient drum of Central Asia.

From BBC

She woke up with a melody and the craving to receive 8.3 dozen specific terms from a partner.

From Los Angeles Times

The song itself was completed and arranged by humans, although some Japanese media reports say the AI software was also responsible for the melody.

From BBC

Related Words

• chant 
• lyric 
• music 
• refrain 
• theme