Vocabulary
Melancholy: meaning as an adjective and noun
A quiet song can leave you with a lasting, thoughtful sadness. That mood is melancholy.
The word melancholy names or describes a lasting, thoughtful sadness. This guide shows its two jobs, its sound, and common word partners.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
melancholy MEL-un-kah-lee
The short answer
Melancholy can be an uncountable noun for lasting sadness or an adjective for a sad mood. The spelling stays the same in both jobs.
A sudden feeling of melancholy came over her as she watched the rain.
Why it works: Here melancholy is an uncountable noun describing a quiet state of sadness.
3 more examples
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Listening to classical music
The cello played a melancholy melody in the empty hall.
Here melancholy is an adjective describing the gentle sadness of the music.
Not this:The cello played a melody
melancholyin the empty hall. What changes: Put the adjective melancholy before melody. -
Visiting an old house
An air of melancholy hung over the abandoned cottage.
In this phrase, melancholy acts as an uncountable noun.
Not this:An air
melancholyhung over the abandoned cottage. What changes: Use of before the noun: an air of melancholy. -
Saying goodbye to a friend
He gave a melancholy smile before turning to leave.
Here melancholy describes a sad, thoughtful smile.
Not this:He gave a
furioussmile before turning to leave. What changes: Furious means very angry, which loses the gentle, reflective sadness of melancholy.
Quick check
Which sentence uses melancholy correctly to describe a sad atmosphere?
Reviewing a thoughtful drama film
Answer: The quiet film had a melancholy ending that stayed with me.
Show the answer
Answer: The quiet film had a melancholy ending that stayed with me.
Melancholy comes before ending and describes that noun.
Read the full guide
Use melancholy as noun or adjective
The problem: I thought melancholy was only a noun, so I was unsure about a melancholy song.
In a melancholy song, the word describes song. In a sense of melancholy, it names the feeling. Its place tells you which job it does.
Use it after phrases such as a sense of or an air of.
A sense of melancholy filled the room.
Put it before a noun such as song, mood, or smile.
She played a melancholy song.
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Not this:
The room had an air melancholy.Say: The room had an air of melancholy.
Use of in the phrase an air of melancholy.
Your turn
Which sentence uses melancholy as an adjective?
Answer: The letter had a melancholy tone.
Show the answer
Answer: The letter had a melancholy tone.
Melancholy comes before tone, so it describes the noun.
Put primary stress on MEL
The problem: I saw ch in the spelling and pronounced it like the ch in chair.
Put the strongest beat on MEL. Give kah a lighter beat. The letters ch have a k sound here. Say MEL-un-kah-lee, with a light final syllable.
Start with the strongest beat on MEL.
MEL-un-kah-lee
The kah part has a smaller beat, and ch sounds like k.
mel-AN-chol-ee has the wrong stress and ch sound.
Your turn
Which guide matches the American pronunciation?
Answer: MEL-un-kah-lee
Show the answer
Answer: MEL-un-kah-lee
MEL has primary stress, kah has lighter secondary stress, and ch has a k sound.
Choose a natural word partner
The problem: I know the meaning, but I do not know which nouns commonly follow melancholy.
A few patterns cover many real uses. Say a melancholy mood or song, and use a sense of melancholy when you name the feeling.
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| melancholy + noun | The film has a melancholy mood. |
| a sense of + melancholy | He felt a sense of melancholy at sunset. |
| an air of + melancholy | An air of melancholy hung over the old house. |
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Not this:
She sang a song melancholy.Say: She sang a melancholy song.
Use the adjective melancholy directly before song.
Before you go
Question 1 of 3
What kind of feeling does melancholy describe?
Answer: A quiet, thoughtful sadness that can feel gentle
Show the answer
Answer: A quiet, thoughtful sadness that can feel gentle
Melancholy means a lasting, thoughtful sadness, not anger or panic.
Question 2 of 3
Arrange the words to form a natural sentence.
Answer: The old song had a melancholy charm.
Show the answer
Answer: The old song had a melancholy charm.
Melancholy acts as an adjective modifying charm.
Question 3 of 3 · One new sentence
You are looking at quiet landscape paintings in an empty gallery. How do you describe the mood?
Visiting an empty art gallery on a rainy day
Answer: The quiet gallery had an atmosphere of melancholy.
Show the answer
Answer: The quiet gallery had an atmosphere of melancholy.
An atmosphere of melancholy naturally describes the quiet, reflective mood of an art gallery.
Remember this
Melancholy can name a feeling or describe a noun. Its place in the sentence shows which job it does.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Melancholy: meaning as an adjective and noun"
Is melancholy a noun or an adjective?
It can be both. As a noun, it names a lasting, thoughtful sadness. As an adjective, it describes something with that sad mood.
A sense of melancholy came over him.
She played a melancholy song.
How do I pronounce melancholy?
Say MEL-un-kah-lee. MEL has the strongest beat, kah has a lighter beat, and ch sounds like k.
The film has a melancholy ending.
An air of melancholy filled the room.
Can I count melancholy as one melancholy or two melancholies?
Melancholy is usually uncountable when it names the feeling. Use phrases such as a feeling of melancholy or a sense of melancholy.
A feeling of melancholy came over her.
The room had an air of melancholy.
Which words commonly go with melancholy?
Common patterns include a melancholy mood, a melancholy song, a sense of melancholy, and an air of melancholy.
A melancholy mood settled over the house.
The novel ends on a melancholy note.
Where does adjective melancholy go in a sentence?
Put melancholy before the noun it describes, or use it after a linking verb when it describes the subject.
Her expression seemed melancholy.
The ending felt melancholy.
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