Melancholy Definition

mĕlən-kŏlē
melancholies
noun
melancholies
Black bile: in medieval times considered to be one of the four humors of the body, to come from the spleen or kidneys, and to cause gloominess, irritability, or depression.
Webster's New World
Pensive reflection or contemplation.
American Heritage Medicine
Sadness and depression of spirits.
Webster's New World
The condition of having, or the disorder supposed to result from having, too much black bile.
Webster's New World
A tendency to be sad, gloomy, or depressed.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:
adjective
Sad and depressed; gloomy.
Webster's New World
Causing sadness, gloom, or depression.
Webster's New World
Lamentable; deplorable.
Webster's New World
Sadly or soberly musing; pensive.
Webster's New World
Having the disorder of melancholy.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:

Other Word Forms of Melancholy

Noun

Singular:
melancholy
Plural:
melancholies

Origin of Melancholy

  • Middle English melancolie from Old French from Late Latin melancholia from Greek melankholiā melās melan- black kholē bile ghel-2 in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Ancient Greek μελαγχολία (melancholia, “atrabiliousness"), from μέλας (melas), μελαν- (melan-, “black, dark, murky") + χολή (chole, “bile"). Compare the Latin ātra bÄ«lis (“black bile").

    From Wiktionary

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