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
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Dec. 2025
What a melancholy end to a great run.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 14 Dec. 2025
Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025
Schulz Was a Strict Christian Who Never Drank Schulz was a strict Christian who never drank and was prone to melancholy and to panic attacks.
—Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for melancholy
Adjective
The poster presents Advani set against a circus backdrop, balancing glamorous aesthetics with underlying emotional depth that suggests grief and melancholy beneath the surface spectacle.
—Noun
On Friday, Swift made her return to upbeat pop following last year’s melancholy The Tortured Poets Department.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for melancholy
Adjective
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In Democratic cities, people demand 38 meetings and three dozen environmental assessments before tearing down a crack den to build a nursery for sad orphans.—
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Although there are infinitely many happy numbers there are also infinitely many sad ones.—
Adjective
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Countries such as the Netherlands and Canada that passed similar bills have gone on to expand this type of legislation to allow doctors to give lethal medication to the depressed and other people with mental illnesses.—
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Yes, our political leaders have given some of us reason to be resentful, cynical and even depressed.—
Adjective
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Some parents carefully vetted and chose thoughtful names to add to the birth certificate, while others undoubtedly may have selected them on a whim or as a result of losing a bet.—
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Soft, breathable materials and thoughtful construction have made the silhouette way more wearable, offering a happy medium between your comfiest sneakers and your dressiest pumps.—
Noun
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Emotions were on full display with many expressing sadness and frustration, not only over Wednesday's federal raid, but raids happening around the Twin Cities over the last 40 days.—
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The initial answer to that question is a no, according to some evangelical pastors and commentators who reacted with shock and sadness to Yancey’s confession.—
Adjective
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In the story, there is a lot of comedy that naturally arises from tragic moments, from dark, depressing moments.—
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This is par for the course, because conversations are confusing, even depressing.—
Adjective
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This is a no-win situation because one of us will end up unhappy.—
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The automaker spent much of the year undoing decisions made by the previous CEO, Carlos Tavares, who resigned at the end of 2024, as stakeholders in the company — from dealers to union rank and file — were upset with him and unhappy with his leadership.—
Adjective
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The mesh uppers are secure but not snug, and the reflective details come in handy for early morning or evening runs.—
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Brent Weinstein’s trip to London did not go unnoticed in the UK agenting world and was reflective of where the industry finds itself as 2026 kicks off.—
Noun
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And on a more basic level, gardening activities also serve to reduce anxiety, aggression and depression, and to increase cognitive function.—
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Feeling tired is not a typical sign of high blood pressure and is more often linked to other issues like poor sleep, depression, or low blood pressure.—
Cite this Entry
“Melancholy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melancholy. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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