Meaning & use
melancholy
A deep, thoughtful sadness, often without an obvious cause.
See it in a sentence
A gentle melancholy settled over her as she packed up her childhood home.
The song's slow melody captured the melancholy of a rainy autumn afternoon.
A note on using this word
Melancholy suggests a reflective, often gentle sadness, distinct from acute grief or despair.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
cheerfulnessjoy
Another way to use it
2. adjective
Feeling or expressing a pensive, thoughtful sadness.
He stared out the melancholy window at the grey, rain-soaked street below.
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