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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary mel·an·choly
(plural -chol·ies) ETYMOLOGY Middle English malencolie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin melancholia, from Greek, from melan- + cholē bile — more at gall DATE 14th century 1. a. an abnormal state attributed to an excess of black bile and characterized by irascibility or depression b. black bile c. melancholia 2. a. depression of spirits : dejection b. a pensive mood
adjective DATE 14th century 1. a. suggestive or expressive of melancholy sang in a melancholy voice b. causing or tending to cause sadness or depression of mind or spirit : dismal a melancholy thought 2. a. depressed in spirits : dejected , sad b. pensive English Etymology melancholy melancholy (n.) c.1300, "condition characterized by sullenness, gloom, irritability," from O.Fr . melancholie, from L.L. melancholia, from Gk. melankholia "sadness," lit. "black bile," from melas (gen.melanos) "black" (see melanin) + khole "bile" (see Chloe). Medieval physiology attributed depression to excess of "black bile," a secretion of the spleen and one of the body's four "humors." Adj. sense of "sullen, gloomy" is from 1526; sense of "deplorable" (of a fact or state of things) is from 1710.http://O.Fr Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 melancholy mel·an·choly / 5melEnkEli; -kCli; NAmE -kB:li / noun[U] (formal) a deep feeling of sadness that lasts for a long time and often cannot be explained 忧郁；伤悲: A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。 adjective very sad or making you feel sadness (令人)悲哀的；(令人)沮丧的 SYN mournful , sombre :
melancholy thoughts / memories 悲哀的想法/记忆 The melancholy song died away. 哀婉的歌声渐渐消失了。 Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus-11th Edition n. Function: noun Synonyms: SADNESS , blues, dejection, depression, (the) dismals, dumps, gloom, heavyheartedness, mournfulness, unhappiness Related Words: miserableness, misery, wretchedness; despair, desperation; boredom, ennui, tedium Contrasted Words: hopefulness, optimism Antonyms: exhilaration n. Function: adjective 1 Synonyms: SAD 1, heavyhearted, mournful, saddened, sorry, unhappy 2 expressing or suggesting sorrow or mourning FF1C;the gloomy day led him to a melancholy train of thoughtFF1E; Synonyms: doleful, dolesome, dolorous, lamentable, lugubrious, moanful, mournful, plaintive, rueful, sighful, sorrowful, wailful, woeful; compare SAD 1 , SAD 2 Related Words: pensive, reflective, thoughtful; discomposing, disquieting, disturbing, perturbing; dismal, dreary, funereal, gloomy, lachrymose, somber, sombrous Contrasted Words: cheerful, glad, happy, joyful, joyous, lighthearted; gay, lively, vivacious 3 Synonyms: SAD 2, depressing, joyless, melancholic, mournful, saddening, tristeWebster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged mel·an·choly I. \ˈmelənˌkälē, -äli, chiefly Brit -_kəli or -eləŋk-\ noun (-es) Etymology: Middle English malencolie, from Middle French melancolie, from Late Latin melancholia, from Greek, from melan- + cholē, cholos gall, bile + -ia -y — more at gall 1. a. archaic : a supposed abnormal state held to be due to the presence of an excess of black bile and characterized by sullen irascibility or gloomy mental depression b. archaic : black bile c. : melancholia 2. obsolete : a condition of sullen ill-temper : anger , irascibility 3. a. : depression of spirits : gloomy mood or condition : dejection b. : a pensive or moody condition : quietly serious thoughtfulness 4. obsolete a. : a cause of melancholy b. : an attack of melancholy Synonyms: see sadness II. adjective 1. obsolete a. : affected with or subject to melancholy b. : of, relating to, or caused by black bile 2. obsolete : ill-natured , sullen , irascible 3. a. : depressed in spirits : dejected , gloomy , dismal , mournful , sad b. : seriously thoughtful or meditative : pensive 4. a. : suggestive or expressive of melancholy or dejection : depressing < melancholy music > b. : producing sadness : causing dejection : lamentable , afflicting < a melancholy event > c. obsolete : favorable to meditation : somber |
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