Definitions

melancholic

[mel-uhn-kol-ik] / ˌmɛl ənˈkɒl ɪk /

ADJECTIVE

depressed

Synonyms

STRONGEST

gloomy lugubrious melancholy wistful

STRONG

at bad bleeding blue down downcast hurting low low-down moody weeping

WEAK

bummed out cast down crestfallen crummy dejected desolate despondent destroyed disconsolate dispirited down and out down in the dumps down in the mouth downhearted dragged dull dysphoric fed up glum grim heavy-hearted in a blue funk in pain in the dumps in the pits in the toilet let down low-spirited morose on a downer pessimistic ripped sad sob story spiritless taken down torn-up tristful unhappy woebegone

Antonyms

STRONGEST

cheerful happy joyful

STRONG

heartened

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And hitting all his elements perfectly to Chopin's haunting, melancholic "Nocturne No. 20" earned the young skater his season's best score of 85.65 points and a place in Friday's free skating final.

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026

It's a folk-pop song telling a melancholic story of lost love.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

In “The Rest of Our Lives,” Tom is a modern melancholic, and some of the stops on his journey are to see people he wistfully associates with his youth.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025

In effect, Bublé wins the holiday-music race by virtue of his entire seasonal catalog, with lighter and melancholic songs alike.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 24, 2025

An idealistic, melancholic Englishman named Maurice Wilson had not been so fortunate when he’d attempted a similarly reckless ascent thirteen years before Denman.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

Vocabulary lists containing melancholic

The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone

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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 8

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I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!