melancholy
MEL-un-kol-ee
/ˈmel.əŋ.kəl.i/
A feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause; gloomy or sorrowful.
Implies a thoughtful, reflective, almost gentle sadness rather than sharp or violent grief.
The story behind the word. Ancient Greek medicine believed human temperament was governed by four bodily humors. An excess of black bile—'melas chole'—was thought to cause persistent sorrow and dark, brooding contemplation.
Word relationships
- pensive: Pensive emphasizes quiet thoughtfulness which may not necessarily be sad.
- wistful: Wistful includes a tinge of longing or regret for the past.
- buoyant: Buoyant describes an upbeat, resilient lightness of spirit.
- exuberant: Exuberant means full of energy and lively excitement.
Commonly confused with
- morose: Morose implies a sullen, ill-tempered gloominess, whereas melancholy is reflective and gentle.
Word family
- melancholic (adjective): Expressing or suffering from melancholy.
- melancholiac (noun): A person affected by severe melancholy.
Collocations
- deep melancholy
- melancholy mood
- melancholy tune
- air of melancholy
Idioms & expressions
- in a melancholy frame of mind
Example sentences
- "I can suck melancholy out of a song, as a weasel sucks eggs." Literary classic
- "A feeling of melancholy settled over the quiet seaside town as autumn approached." Describing ambient mood
Memory hook
Picture a MELON COLLIDING with a sad painting, causing a quiet, dark spill of pensive sorrow. Black bile causing quiet gloom.
When not to use
Do not use for sudden acute physical pain or intense rage.
Fun facts
- In the Renaissance, melancholy was considered the fashionable affliction of poets and intellectual geniuses.
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