Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,727,006,715 visitors served.
forum mailing list For webmasters
?
New: Language forums
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

melancholy

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
mel·an·chol·y  (mln-kl)
n.
1. Sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom: "There is melancholy in the wind and sorrow in the grass" (Charles Kuralt).
2. Pensive reflection or contemplation.
3. Archaic
a. Black bile.
b. An emotional state characterized by sullenness and outbreaks of violent anger, believed to arise from black bile.
adj.
1. Affected with or marked by depression of the spirits; sad. See Synonyms at sad.
2. Tending to promote sadness or gloom: a letter with some melancholy news.
3. Pensive; thoughtful.

[Middle English melancolie, from Old French, from Late Latin melancholia, from Greek melankholi : mels, melan-, black + khol, bile; see ghel-2 in Indo-European roots.]

melan·choli·ly adv.
melan·choli·ness n.

melancholy [ˈmɛlənkəlɪ]
n pl -cholies
1. a constitutional tendency to gloominess or depression
2. a sad thoughtful state of mind; pensiveness
3. (Psychology) Archaic
a.  a gloomy character, thought to be caused by too much black bile
b.  one of the four bodily humours; black bile See humour [8]
adj
characterized by, causing, or expressing sadness, dejection, etc.
[via Old French from Late Latin melancholia, from Greek melankholia, from melas black + kholē bile]
melancholily  [ˈmɛlənˌkɒlɪlɪ] adv
melancholiness  n

Melancholy
See also attitudes; moods

an abnormal tendency toward deep melancholy.
a condition of abnormal gloom or depression, of ten of an intensity to become a form of insanity. — melancholiac, n., adj. — melancholie, n., adj.
1. black bile, one of the four bodily humors, formerly believed to be the cause of gloom, ill temper, and depression.
2. melancholia.
3. a pensive, contemplative mood.
4. Obsolete, ill temper. — melancholiac, n., adj. — melancholie, n., adj.
melancholia.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.melancholymelancholy - a feeling of thoughtful sadness      
sadness, unhappiness - emotions experienced when not in a state of well-being
gloom, gloominess, somberness, sombreness - a feeling of melancholy apprehension
heavyheartedness - a feeling of dispirited melancholy
pensiveness, brooding - persistent morbid meditation on a problem
Weltschmerz, world-weariness - sadness on thinking about the evils of the world
2.melancholy - a constitutional tendency to be gloomy and depressed
depression - a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity
3.melancholy - a humor that was once believed to be secreted by the kidneys or spleen and to cause sadness and melancholy
bodily fluid, body fluid, liquid body substance, humour, humor - the liquid parts of the body
Adj.1.melancholy - characterized by or causing or expressing sadness; "growing more melancholy every hour"; "her melancholic smile"; "we acquainted him with the melancholy truth"
sad - experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness; "feeling sad because his dog had died"; "Better by far that you should forget and smile / Than that you should remember and be sad"- Christina Rossetti
2.melancholy - grave or even gloomy in character; "solemn and mournful music"; "a suit of somber black"; "a somber mood"
cheerless, depressing, uncheerful - causing sad feelings of gloom and inadequacy; "the economic outlook is depressing"; "something cheerless about the room"; "a moody and uncheerful person"; "an uncheerful place"

melancholy
noun
sadness, depression, misery, gloom, sorrow, woe, blues, unhappiness, despondency, the hump (Brit. informal), dejection, low spirits, gloominess, pensiveness He watched the process with an air of melancholy.
sadness delight, pleasure, joy, happiness, gladness
Translations
melancholy [ˈmelənkəlɪ]
A. ADJ [person, mood] → melancólico; [duty, sight] → triste
B. Nmelancolía f

melancholy [ˈmɛlənkɒli]
nmélancolie f
an air of melancholy → un air mélancolique
The general watched the parade with an air of melancholy → Le général regardait le défilé d'un air mélancolique.
adj
[sound, sight, picture] → mélancolique
(= unhappy) → mélancolique

melancholy
adjmelancholisch, schwermütig; duty, sight, truth etctraurig; placetrist
nMelancholie f, → Schwermut f

melancholy [ˈmɛlənklɪ]
1. adj (person) → malinconico/a; (duty, subject) → triste
2. nmalinconia

melancholy [ˈmɛlənklɪ]
1. adj (person) → malinconico/a; (duty, subject) → triste
2. nmalinconia

melancholy
n melancholy [ˈmelənkəli]
depression or sadness He was overcome by a feeling of melancholy. melancholie كآبَه، سُوَيْداء меланхолия melancholie melankoli die Melancholie μελαγχολία melancolía melanhoolia مالیخولیا melankolia mélancolie עַצבוּת, מֶלַנכוֹליָה गहरी उदासी melankolija, sjeta búskomorság kesedihan þunglyndi, depurð malinconia 憂うつ 우울, 침울 melancholija melanholija kesedihan melancholie tungsinn, melankoli melancholia melancolia melancolie уныние melanchólia otožnost melanholija melankoli ภาวะเศร้าโศก melânkoli, hüzün 憂鬱 меланхолія, сум غمگینی، دلگیری sự u sầu
adj
sad; showing or causing sadness melancholy eyes. melancholies سَوْداوي، حَزين، يُظْهِر الحُزْن меланхоличен melancholický melankolsk melancholisch μελαγχολικός melancólico raskemeelne غمگین surumielinen mélancolique עָצוּב उदासी की अवस्था sjetan, tužan búskomor sedih þunglyndur, dapur malinconico 憂うつな 슬픈 melancholiškas skumjš, grūtsirdīgs rasa sedih melancholiek tungsindig, trist, melankolsk smutny, melancholijny melancólico melancolic грустный, печальный melancholický otožen melanholičan melankolisk เศร้า çok üzgün, kederli 令人傷感的 меланхолійний, сумний افسردہ u sầu


How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
Add definition
? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
The world belongs to Melancholy then, a thoughtful deep-eyed maiden who loves not the glare of day.
As the manager of the Performance sits before the curtain on the boards and looks into the Fair, a feeling of profound melancholy comes over him in his survey of the bustling place.
It made her melancholy again; and the knowledge of what must be enduring there, invested even the house, modern, airy, and well situated as it was, with a melancholy aspect.
 
Dictionary/thesaurus browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Translations
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.