Melpomene

[mel-pom-uh-nee]

noun

Classical Mythology.

1. the Muse of tragedy.

Melpomene

/ mɛlˈpɒmɪnɪ /

noun

1. Greek myth the Muse of tragedy

Word History and Origins

Origin of Melpomene¹

< Latin Melpomenē < Greek Melpoménē special use of feminine of present participle of mélpesthai to sing

Example Sentences

Clio was Muse of history, Urania of astronomy, Melpomene of tragedy, Thalia of comedy, Terpsichore of the dance, Calliope of epic poetry, Erato of love-poetry, Polyhymnia of songs to the gods, Euterpe of lyric poetry.

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Downstairs at Studio, Carolee Jakes’s “Invoking Melpomene” is a show of subtle, shimmering woodcuts.

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After a few more stops to admire various swales and depressions—“There’s a sinkhole over there!”—we arrived at the Melpomene Pumping Station.

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If those pairs — let alone the possibly illegal conjugation of “comedy” and “Melpomene” — sound a bit classical and even foreign, there’s a reason.

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In each of of its three parts, “Melpomene,” “Assorted Selection” and “Entanglement,” she came across as all studied effects, self-fascinated yet never quite sincere.

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