noun / adjective
melancholy
MEL-uhn-kah-lee/ˈmelənkɑːli/
Deep, thoughtful sadness.
The woman holds the old photograph in quiet melancholy.
Etymology
“Black bile” was once blamed for a gloomy disposition. As belief in that medical explanation faded, the word retained its emotional meaning: a lingering sadness rather than a bodily substance.
In context
all is misery and illusion he fell into a deep Melancholy and neither went to see the Opera nor any of the other diversions of the carnival
More examples
- A melancholy mood settled over him.
- The tune stirred deep melancholy.
- Her letter had a melancholy tone.
Forms
melancholy
Similar words
- sadness
- A broader feeling without the thoughtful, lingering quality.
- wistfulness
- Often involves gentle longing for something absent.