Melancholy

Meaning

Melancholy means a deep, thoughtful, or lasting sadness, often without a clearly defined cause. It can also describe a quiet or reflective sadness associated with memories, loneliness, or loss.

Pronunciation

/ˈmel.ən.kɒl.i/

Word Forms

• Noun: melancholy
• Adjective: melancholic
• Adverb: melancholically

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

• deep melancholy — a profound feeling of sadness.
• quiet melancholy — a subdued and reflective form of sadness.
• feeling of melancholy — a state of sadness or thoughtful gloom.
• sense of melancholy — an underlying feeling of sadness.
• touch of melancholy — a slight or subtle feeling of sadness.
• melancholy mood — a mood characterized by sadness or reflection.

Example Sentences

• A feeling of melancholy came over her as she looked through the old photographs.
• The music has a quiet melancholy that makes me think of autumn.
• He was overcome by melancholy after saying goodbye to his childhood home.
• The novel is filled with moments of melancholy and longing.
• There was a strange sense of melancholy in the empty house.

Literary Example

Example:

“That signifies melancholy resulting from loneliness.”

— Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

Here, melancholy means a deep or thoughtful sadness. In this passage, the word specifically describes sadness associated with loneliness. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

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