me
lan
cho
ly
Plural
melancholies
1
a feeling of long-lasting sadness that often cannot be explained
- She couldn't shake off the melancholy that lingered after saying goodbye to her childhood home.
- The beauty of the sunset filled him with a sense of melancholy, reminding him of lost opportunities.
- The melancholy of the autumn season was reflected in the falling leaves and the gray skies.
- Despite the festivities, there was an underlying melancholy in the air, as they remembered loved ones who were no longer with them.
- He found solace in music during times of melancholy, allowing the melodies to soothe his troubled mind.
2
one of the four bodily humours thought to affect health and personality
- The Greeks believed that a person with too much melancholy, or black bile, would experience sadness and depression.
- In ancient medical theory, melancholy was thought to arise from an imbalance of black bile.
- According to historical beliefs, black bile, or melancholy, was cold and dry in nature.
Synonyms: