1
as in sad
causing unhappiness
the melancholy thought of having to say good-bye to all the friends he had made over the summer
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2
as in depressed
feeling unhappiness
they were a bit melancholy after their youngest child left for college
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3
as in thoughtful
given to or marked by long, quiet thinking
a melancholy period in the artist's life that is reflected in his work
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as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits
the bleakness of winter sometimes gives me cause for melancholy
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of melancholy
Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 31 Dec. 2024
The stories were often subdued — even melancholy — despite centering around a group of martial arts mutants, and emphasized the humanity of the turtles, who were struggling with finding their own identities in a world that didn’t want them.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 31 Dec. 2024
Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 16 Dec. 2024
Intertwining tales of love featuring Brits and others conjure all sorts of holiday emotions – some happy, other melancholy – and are entirely manipulative.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for melancholy 
Adjective
Literary scholars have written essay after essay remarking on Hamlet’s delay, and he has been widely understood as a flawed person, too melancholy and intellectual to do what he’s decided to do.
—Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 31 Dec. 2024
The stories were often subdued — even melancholy — despite centering around a group of martial arts mutants, and emphasized the humanity of the turtles, who were struggling with finding their own identities in a world that didn’t want them.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 31 Dec. 2024
Noun
Somehow, that doesn’t cure Guillermo’s melancholy, and the other vamps theorize about why this is bothering Guillermo so much.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 16 Dec. 2024
Intertwining tales of love featuring Brits and others conjure all sorts of holiday emotions – some happy, other melancholy – and are entirely manipulative.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for melancholy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melancholy
Adjective
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Possibly chatting with his new security detail., which reportedly is a sad reality.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Feb. 2025
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The sad truth is many of us saw this last year and knew nothing was going to change.—
Scott Dochterman,
The Athletic,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Today’s youth can feel depressed by the state of society while remaining incredibly sensitive, inventive, and caring.—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
15 Feb. 2025
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Man Shares Theory About Why Gen Z Are Depressed By Alice Gibbs Senior Life and Trends Reporter Newsweek Is A Trust Project Member news article 20 A 24-year-old marketing agency owner who lives in Tampa, Florida, has sparked discussion after sharing this theory about why Gen Z is depressed.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Savvy hotelier Jayson Seidman purchased the Italianate mansion (built by architect Thomas Sully in 1883) in 2019 and, in a thoughtful overhaul, created a true city living room.—
Jenny Adams,
AFAR Media,
11 Feb. 2025
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Through the window, a thoughtful stranger handed him an unexpected gift.—
Ronnie Li,
USA TODAY,
10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Whether the Nationals pitching staff can hold up, healthy and effective in an incredibly difficult division, is another pressing question — with a depressing answer: probably not — but at least the bats will be worth watching.—
The Athletic MLB Staff,
The Athletic,
12 Feb. 2025
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Listen to this article Super Bowl parties are on the rise this year thanks to the need to decompress from a most depressing start to 2025, along with the rising cost of packages at bars and restaurants.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Laviolette puts lines in a blender Clearly unhappy with his team’s effort against Pittsburgh on Friday, Laviolette made drastic changes to his lineup.—
Peter Baugh,
The Athletic,
9 Feb. 2025
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The indie drama follows Diana (Rodriguez), an unhappy teenager who begins training at a boxing gym as a release for her frustrations, only to discover she's got a talent for the sport.—
James Mercadante,
EW.com,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Pete was a gentle spirit, creative, inquisitive, and reflective.—
Contributed Content,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
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The numbers are reflective of the historic season delivered by Barkely, who, in his first year since leaving the Giants, totaled 15 touchdowns in the regular seasons and has five more in the playoffs.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The fear of deportation can lead to significant mental health problems for immigrants and their loved ones, ranging from conditions like anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder to a loss of trust in others and social isolation.—
Kristina Fullerton Rico,
The Conversation,
19 Feb. 2025
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The overwhelming majority are for people with terminal illnesses, mostly cancer, with a smaller number for people who have other nonterminal conditions that cause acute suffering — such as neurodegenerative disease or intractable depression.—
Stephanie Nolen,
New York Times,
16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Outwardly glassy but mournful on the inside, the film is a fairly overt expression of grief — one that’s even more acute coming out just a year after 9/11.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
24 Jan. 2025
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Sunday's mournful cowboy funeral is attended only by his family, the bunkhouse crew, and three close friends.—
Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez,
The Indianapolis Star,
18 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near melancholy
Cite this Entry
“Melancholy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melancholy. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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