# melancholy

/ˈmɛɫənˌkɑɫi/ (US) · /mˈɛlənkˌɒli/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/melancholy
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. thoughtful sadness

noun · CEFR B2 · Literary

a feeling of sadness that is quiet and thoughtful rather than sharp or sudden.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. black bile

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Technical

in old medicine, one of the four liquids in the body thought to control a person's mood.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. feeling sad

adjective · CEFR B2 · Literary

feeling or showing a quiet, thoughtful sadness.

For teachers: 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.

### 4. causing sadness

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary

making you feel a gentle, thoughtful sadness.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- A feeling of melancholy came over him as he watched the rain.
- The old photographs filled her with a gentle melancholy for the summers of her childhood.
- The composer’s later works are infused with a profound melancholy, reflecting his growing isolation and the somber political climate of the era.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.