melancholy

mel·an·choly (mel′ən käl′ē)

noun pl. -·chol′·ies

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

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

adjective

mel′·an·chol′ic adjective mel′·an·chol′i·cally adverb

modif.

Sad; said of persons
depressed, unhappy, dispirited; see sad 1.
Depressing; said of information or events
dreary, unfortunate, saddening; see sad 2. See syn. study at sad.

Preposition: of

song: Certainly in the intricate melodic melancholy of the song is a hint of the Joni circa Urge For Going period.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

make: That makes the film rather melancholy, although it's basically a romantic story.

Modifies a noun

thistle: Other plants such as Northern Marsh orchid, greater burnet, ox-eye daisy and melancholy thistle occur in some.
ballad: Psalm 26, a melancholy, asymmetric ballad, reminded me of British jazz from the 1960s.
mood: She leads the story further when she meets a young Prince walking in melancholy mood by the river.
melody: The first violin sings a long, melancholy melody, which gains in emotional power on its sweet, A major repeat.
tone: She must not make it a more decided subject of misery to him, by a melancholy tone herself.
reflection: I threw myself into the chaise that was to convey me away and indulged in the most melancholy reflections.

Modifying Another Word

somewhat: Also, there are some genuine flashes of pop genius here, albeit somewhat melancholy ones.
rather: He devised the Kensington System, under which she spent, to use her own words, her " rather melancholy childhood " .
slightly: The longest track at 10:10, ' Suddenly ' , has a slightly melancholy country feel.
deep: Instead they invested their writings with what Poles call ' zal ' , a sort of deep melancholy.
so: Yet farewell of so famous a house should not be made with so melancholy a story.
very: I am scarcely drawing the portrait of a very melancholy man.

Used with adjective complement

feel: I can't help wondering whether I am alone in feeling melancholy at the ruin of Blunkett.
look: Cease to look so melancholy, my dear master; you shall not be left desolate, so long as I live.
seem: Oddly, the sound seemed more melancholy than menacing.
get: I still sometimes get melancholy over apparent nothings but it does not compare at all to past feelings.
become: My face grew grave, and Agatha became melancholy.
make: Could all fit modern turkey made melancholy is everywhere little would have.

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