noun
melancholia
mel-un-KOH-lee-uh/ˌmelənˈkəʊliə/
A state of deep sadness or depression.
The man sits withdrawn in his armchair, weighed down by melancholia.
Etymology
The roots mean “black bile,” which ancient medicine believed could cause depression when abnormal or excessive. That supposed bodily cause supplied the name for the depressive mental state.
In context
fills him with a chilly deadening sense of edgar allan poe melancholia and i'm i'm interested in kind of unpacking um
More examples
- She seeks help when her melancholia begins to disrupt daily life.
- A mood of melancholia runs through the final chapter.
- Even among friends, he cannot shake his melancholia.
Forms
melancholia
melancholic adjective — Feeling or expressing deep, lingering sadness.
Similar words
- melancholy
- Often suggests a reflective sadness rather than severe depression.
- depression
- More often names a clinical condition affecting mood and functioning.
- sadness
- Covers ordinary unhappiness as well as more intense sorrow.