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.
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
See harmony.
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
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."
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“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
Playing a standard tune, he would frequently develop paraphrases of the melody, taking it through unlikely re-imagining of the harmonies of a song.
From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 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
On the first and last repetition, the melody is played or sung, and soloists improvise during the other repetitions.
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.
