Word
melancholy
Phoneticsmelan·choly
US/ˈmɛɫənˌkɑɫi/
UK/mˈɛlənkˌɒli/
Definitions
01thoughtful sadness
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Literary
n. a feeling of sadness that is quiet and thoughtful rather than sharp or sudden.
n. a deep, pensive, and long-lasting sadness, often without a specific immediate cause. Uncountable in this abstract sense.
“A feeling of melancholy came over him as he walked through his old school.”
“The rainy afternoon induced a profound sense of melancholy, leading her to reflect on the choices she had made in her youth.”
Antonyms
02black bile
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Medicine Archaic · Technical
n. in old medicine, one of the four liquids in the body thought to control a person's mood.
n. one of the four cardinal humours in ancient and medieval medicine, believed to cause a gloomy temperament when in excess.
“Ancient doctors believed that too much melancholy in the body made people sad.”
“The physician attributed the patient's lethargy to an imbalance of melancholy, prescribing a specific diet to restore the bodily humours.”
Synonyms
03feeling sad
B2 · Upper Intermediate Literary
adj. feeling or showing a quiet, thoughtful sadness.
adj. affected with or expressing a pensive and long-lasting sadness.
“The movie ended with a melancholy song that made everyone feel a bit sad.”
“He sat in the corner of the café with a melancholy expression, staring out at the empty street for hours.”
04causing sadness
C1 · Advanced Literary
adj. making you feel a gentle, thoughtful sadness.
adj. suggestive of or causing a state of wistful or subdued emotion.
“The old house had a melancholy beauty that was hard to describe.”
“The cello's melancholy notes echoed through the hall, perfectly capturing the tragic themes of the performance.”
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“He was a lutenist, composer, singer and master of melancholy, opting for cheery titles to his songs such as In Darkness Let Me Dwell and Flow My Tears.” “They spoke with a rasping melancholy of the depths of human fallibility and of fates that were not to be trusted.” Etymology
From Middle English malencolie, from Old French melancolie, from Ancient Greek μελαγχολία (melankholía, “atrabiliousness”), from μέλας (mélas), μελαν- (melan-, “black, dark, murky”) + χολή (kholḗ, “bile”). Compare the Latin ātra bīlis (“black bile”). The adjectival use is a Middle English innovation, perhaps influenced by the suffixes -y, -ly. Doublet of melancholia.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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