melancholic
adjective
mel·an·chol·ic
ˌme-lən-ˈkä-lik 
1
: of, relating to, or subject to melancholy : depressed
2
: of or relating to melancholia
3
: tending to depress the spirits : saddening
melancholic
noun
Synonyms
- bad
- blue
- brokenhearted
- cast down
- crestfallen
- dejected
- depressed
- despondent
- disconsolate
- doleful
- down
- down in the mouth
- downcast
- downhearted
- droopy
- forlorn
- gloomy
- glum
- hangdog
- heartbroken
- heartsick
- heartsore
- heavyhearted
- inconsolable
- joyless
- low
- low-spirited
- melancholy
- miserable
- mournful
- sad
- saddened
- sorrowful
- sorry
- unhappy
- woebegone
- woeful
- wretched
Examples of melancholic in a Sentence
she becomes quite melancholic when she reflects on all the lost opportunities of her life
Recent Examples on the Web
In a crowded field, Cuadras has distinguished himself from other acts by staying away from the melancholic ballads and trap beats that audiences have gravitated toward.
—
Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2024
The document that largely defined American foreign policy through the Cold War years was written anonymously by a prickly and melancholic Midwesterner who spent much of the rest of his life disavowing the repercussions of his work.
—Richard Babcock, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2024
While Bing’s heartfelt lyrics consider life’s challenges and triumphs, the music itself blends melancholic tones with soft, soulful harmonies set against calming acoustics.
—Eliseé Browchuk, Vogue, 2 May 2024
Its lyrics were emotional, melancholic and glaringly in English.
—Rodrigo Cervantes, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2023
There’s a kind of melancholic whimsy here, and lyrical poetry, which makes this song an appropriate listen for a solar eclipse.
—Maria Sherman, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
Whether daydreaming, seductive or melancholic and fragile — each of her roles has a special aura surrounding it.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024
Based on the Swedish word for 20, but which also can be Finnish for counting eggs or a musical score, Salonen played with the ordering of 20 chords, turning them into a resplendent phantasmagoric series of dances, fanfares, misty harmonic clouds and melancholic melody.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024
That’s what melancholic music does to you isn’t it?
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 5 Mar. 2024
Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2024
The document that largely defined American foreign policy through the Cold War years was written anonymously by a prickly and melancholic Midwesterner who spent much of the rest of his life disavowing the repercussions of his work.
—Richard Babcock, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2024
While Bing’s heartfelt lyrics consider life’s challenges and triumphs, the music itself blends melancholic tones with soft, soulful harmonies set against calming acoustics.
—Eliseé Browchuk, Vogue, 2 May 2024
Its lyrics were emotional, melancholic and glaringly in English.
—Rodrigo Cervantes, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2023
There’s a kind of melancholic whimsy here, and lyrical poetry, which makes this song an appropriate listen for a solar eclipse.
—Maria Sherman, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
Whether daydreaming, seductive or melancholic and fragile — each of her roles has a special aura surrounding it.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024
Based on the Swedish word for 20, but which also can be Finnish for counting eggs or a musical score, Salonen played with the ordering of 20 chords, turning them into a resplendent phantasmagoric series of dances, fanfares, misty harmonic clouds and melancholic melody.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024
That’s what melancholic music does to you isn’t it?
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 5 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'melancholic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Melancholic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/melancholic. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
melancholic
1 of 2 adjective
mel·an·chol·ic
ˌmel-ən-ˈkäl-ik
1
: of, relating to, or subject to melancholy : depressed
2
: of or relating to melancholia
melancholic
2 of 2 noun1
: a melancholy person
2
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