melancholy

[ mel-uhn-kol-ee ]
/ ˈmɛl ənˌkɒl i /

noun, plural mel·an·chol·ies.

a gloomy state of mind, especially when habitual or prolonged; depression.
sober thoughtfulness; pensiveness.
Archaic.
  1. the condition of having too much black bile, considered in ancient and medieval medicine to cause gloominess and depression.
  2. black bile.

adjective

affected with, characterized by, or showing melancholy; mournful; depressed: a melancholy mood.
causing melancholy or sadness; saddening: a melancholy occasion.
soberly thoughtful; pensive.

Origin of melancholy

1275–1325; Middle English melancholie < Late Latin melancholia < Greek melancholía condition of having black bile, equivalent to melan- melan- + chol(ḗ) bile + -ia -ia

ANTONYMS FOR melancholy

1 cheer, happiness.
5 happy.

OTHER WORDS FROM melancholy

mel·an·chol·i·ly, adverb mel·an·chol·i·ness, noun un·mel·an·chol·y, adjective

Words nearby melancholy

melan-, melancholia, melancholia attonita, melancholiac, melancholic, melancholy, melanchthon, melanedema, melanesia, melanesian, melanesian pidgin english

Example sentences from the Web for melancholiness

  • The days came and went, and after a few months of melancholiness he grew a little bit better.

    The Silver Lining |John Roussel

British Dictionary definitions for melancholiness

melancholy
/ (ˈmɛlənkəlɪ) /

noun plural -cholies

a constitutional tendency to gloominess or depression
a sad thoughtful state of mind; pensiveness
archaic
  1. a gloomy character, thought to be caused by too much black bile
  2. one of the four bodily humours; black bileSee humour (def. 8)

adjective

characterized by, causing, or expressing sadness, dejection, etc

Derived forms of melancholy

melancholily (ˈmɛlənˌkɒlɪlɪ), adverb melancholiness, noun

Word Origin for melancholy

C14: via Old French from Late Latin melancholia, from Greek melankholia, from melas black + kholē bile

Medical definitions for melancholiness

melancholy
[ mĕl′ən-kŏl′ē ]

n.

Sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom.
Melancholia.