melancholic

adjective

ˌme-lən-ˈkä-lik How to pronounce melancholic (audio)
Definition of melancholicnext
as in sad
feeling unhappiness she becomes quite melancholic when she reflects on all the lost opportunities of her life

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of melancholic Nevin remembered the songwriter as a melancholic genius, and insisted that Foster did not merely caricature Black Americans but used their vernacular to convey universal themes. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026 Driven heavily by lyricism, especially that of the melancholic Mexican singer Ed Maverick, and his ability to forge a new path in the Mexican indie folk scene, Selines dreamt of becoming a professional singer at 15. — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 Unlike the brighter, more melodic style often associated with Austria and the Tyrol region, Swiss yodeling is slower and more melancholic — an emotionally nuanced tradition rooted in distinct regional dialects. — Jez Fielder, Fortune, 30 June 2026 Brandon Routh actually makes a decent Superman — heroic, yet understated and touchingly melancholic — but never gets a chance to do much as Clark Kent. — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 28 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for melancholic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melancholic
  1. sad
  2. depressed
  3. unhappy
  4. melancholy
  5. heartbroken
  6. miserable
  7. mournful
  8. bad
Adjective
  • That might also explain the movie’s attempts to supercharge its few action sequences, as if the filmmakers realized belatedly that a sad book without much incident wasn’t exactly prime summer studio release fodder.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Obviously, a really sad story and hard to listen to at times.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of sad
Adjective
  • Lindsay Clancy was depressed, prosecutor says During more than four weeks of testimony, jurors heard differing views from medical experts about Clancy’s mental state after Callan’s birth.
    — Michael Casey, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Many established theatrical distributors are also wary of the current depressed market for documentaries.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of depressed
Adjective
  • Garcia and fellow Democrats are mindful of what’s driving unhappy voters who face a vexing mix of inflation and weak economic growth.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Sometimes kids performing things on TV look unhappy or awkward, but this girl seems to genuinely enjoy singing while her dad plays guitar.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of unhappy
Adjective
  • On the page, Hig’s first-person descriptions of his everyday adventures, and of the waning natural world around him, had an honest, melancholy soul to them.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • There’s a gravity, even a melancholy to her Mary Stone, which drew on Fabares’ ability to project a genuine inner life into the least promising scenarios.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of melancholy
Adjective
  • Fans across Kansas City posted heartbroken notes of appreciation for the country legend.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Speaking during a recent career retrospective hosted by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the 71-year-old actor revealed that his Thelma & Louise co-star left him heartbroken.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of heartbroken
Adjective
  • The loss of cultural titans Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, Peter Cullen, and Yayoi Kusama sent the week in a miserable direction.
    — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Making someone miserable with a forty-one-page application does not.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of miserable
Adjective
  • Whitney Houston’s powerhouse version stands alone, but Dolly’s quieter, mournful ode to her collaboration with Porter Wagoner is the artful, formative sketch to a colossal mural.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • These pauses also give the documentary an air of mournful respect, making its pace more deliberate than the standard talking heads-doc that might be mistaken as a stylistic counterpart.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of mournful
Adjective
  • Poor Anton has been left out of the drama all day, an effort by Billie and Samir to prevent an already bad futzing from escalating to something severe, and that’s never where Anton likes to be.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Although rarely seen, its reemergence earlier this summer is a signal of how bad the region’s ongoing drought has gotten, as well as a warning for the difficult months ahead.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of bad

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Cite this Entry

“Melancholic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melancholic. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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