English · Emotions & Feelings
melancholy
/ˈmel.ən.kɒl.i/
[/ˈmel.ən.kɒl.i/]
gentle sadness
Advancednoun
Definition
A feeling of thoughtful or lingering sadness, often without clear cause.
Example
A soft melancholy filled the empty house once the last of the guests had gone home.
A soft melancholy filled the empty house once the last of the guests had gone home.
Etymology
From Greek 'melas' (black) and 'chole' (bile); ancient medicine blamed black bile.
How & Where It’s Used
A poetic word for reflective, gentle sadness.
Literary Heritage
Keats's 'Ode on Melancholy' explores this very mood.