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melancholy

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The definition of melancholy is someone or something that is sad or gloomy.

(adjective)

An example of melancholy is someone crying from loss.
An example of melancholy is a dark, stormy and windy day.

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See melancholy in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun pl. melancholies

Obsolete
1. 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
2. the condition of having, or the disorder supposed to result from having, too much black bile
1. sadness and depression of spirits
2. a tendency to be sad, gloomy, or depressed
sad, sober musing; pensiveness

Origin: ME malencoli < OFr melancolie < LL melancholia < Gr < melas, black (see melano-) + cholē, bile, gall: see yellow

adjective

sad and depressed; gloomy
1. causing sadness, gloom, or depression
2. lamentable; deplorable
sadly or soberly musing; pensive
Obsolete having the disorder of melancholy

Related Forms:

melancholic adjective
melancholically adverb

See melancholy in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

Sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom: “There is melancholy in the wind and sorrow in the grass” (Charles Kuralt).
Pensive reflection or contemplation.
Archaic
a. Black bile.
b. An emotional state characterized by sullenness and outbreaks of violent anger, believed to arise from black bile.

adjective

Affected with or marked by depression of the spirits; sad. See Synonyms at sad.
Tending to promote sadness or gloom: a letter with some melancholy news.
Pensive; thoughtful.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English melancolie

Origin: , from Old French

Origin: , from Late Latin melancholia

Origin: , from Greek melankholiā

Origin: : melās, melan-, black

Origin: + kholē, bile; see ghel-² in Indo-European roots

.

Related Forms:

melˈan·cholˌi·ly adverb

melˈan·cholˌi·ness noun

See melancholy in Ologies

Melancholy

See also attitudes; moods

lypemania

an abnormal tendency toward deep melancholy.

a condition of abnormal gloom or depression, of ten of an intensity to become a form of insanity. —melancholiac, n., adj. —melancholie, n., adj.

1. black bile, one of the four bodily humors, formerly believed to be the cause of gloom, ill temper, and depression.

2. melancholia.

3. a pensive, contemplative mood.

4. Obsolete, ill temper. —melancholiac, n., adj. —melancholie, n., adj.

tristimania

melancholia.

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