Synonyms: tunefulness, music, harmony, musicality More Synonyms of melody
More Synonyms of melody
melody in British English
(ˈmɛlədɪ)
nounWord forms: plural-dies
1. music
a.
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence; tune
b.
the horizontally represented aspect of the structure of a piece of music
Compare harmony (sense 4b)
2.
sounds that are pleasant because of tone or arrangement, esp words of poetry
Word origin
C13: from Old French, from Late Latin melōdia, from Greek melōidia singing, from melos song + -ōidia, from aoidein to sing
melody in American English
(ˈmɛlədi)
nounWord forms: pluralˈmelodies
1.
a.
pleasing sounds or arrangement of sounds in sequence
b.
musical quality, as in the arrangement of words
2. Music
a.
a sequence of single tones, usually in the same key or mode, to produce a rhythmic whole; often, a tune, air, or song
b.
the element of form having to do with the arrangement of single tones in sequence
see also harmony
c.
the leading part, or voice, in a harmonic composition; the air
SYNONYMY NOTE: melody refers to the rhythmic arrangement of tones in sequence to express a musical idea;, air, in strict application, refers to the principal, or leading, melody of a harmonizedcomposition, but it is sometimes used as an equivalent of , tune, which is the popular term for any easily remembered melody that identifies a song,dance, etc.
Word origin
ME melodie < OFr < LL melodia < Gr melōidia < melos, song (see melic) + aeidein, to sing: see ode
Examples of 'melody' in a sentence
melody
Such a beautiful and simple melody.
The Sun (2016)
At heart he was a poet, but it is the strange melodies and dark voice that give his work immense power.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Their fine psalms have exceedingly beautiful melodies composed by great masters.
Christianity Today (2000)
Melody and bass or inside parts as well?
Evans, Andrew The Secrets of Musical Confidence (1994)
He has a real ear for melody and arrangement.
The Sun (2008)
He writes melodies on the guitar like no one else.
The Sun (2008)
We may be in the trenches but we can still whistle a melody from the music halls.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Some people wrote charming melodies without any harmony at all.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
You are directing and providing the rhythm and the melody.
The Sun (2009)
But what makes the melody haunting is its unusual structure.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Sometimes you have a kind of second melody over the voice.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
And beautiful melodies emerge through clouds of sound like sunlight.
The Sun (2012)
It has to go along with the melody and the music.
The Sun (2010)
How good is your recognition of harmony and melody?
Evans, Andrew The Secrets of Musical Confidence (1994)
So it was all melody and rhythm.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
There is an important qualitative difference between the work of composers such as these and composers who "arrange" folk melodies.
Stewart, R J Music and the Elemental Psyche: A Practical Guide to Music and Changing Consciousness (1987)
She sat down and played a Beatles melody.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
An electronic onslaught, with an ominous melody and haunting vocals.
The Sun (2008)
I love how wide a range of experience can wedge itself into those simple melodies and structures.
The Sun (2009)
Then my father comes home and writes the lyric from the point of view of a woman, with my mother writing the melody.
The Sun (2016)
In other languages
melody
British English: melody /ˈmɛlədɪ/ NOUN
A melody is a tune.
I whistle melodies from my favourite TV shows.
American English: melody
Arabic: لـَحْنٌ
Brazilian Portuguese: melodia
Chinese: 旋律
Croatian: melodija
Czech: melodie
Danish: melodi
Dutch: melodie
European Spanish: melodía
Finnish: melodia
French: mélodie
German: Melodie
Greek: μελωδία
Italian: melodia
Japanese: メロディー
Korean: 멜로디
Norwegian: melodi
Polish: melodia
European Portuguese: melodia
Romanian: melodie
Russian: мелодия
Latin American Spanish: melodía
Swedish: melodi
Thai: เสียงดนตรี
Turkish: melodi
Ukrainian: мелодія
Vietnamese: giai điệu
Chinese translation of 'melody'
melody
(ˈmɛlədɪ)
n
(c) (= tune) 旋律 (xuánlǜ) (段, duàn)
(u) (= tunefulness) 抑扬(揚)顿(頓)挫 (yìyáng dùncuò)
1 (noun)
Definition
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
a catchy melody with a frenetic beat
Synonyms
tune
She was humming a merry little tune.
song
a voice singing a Spanish song
theme
refrain
a refrain from an old song
air
an old Irish air
music
strain
She could hear the tinny strains of a chamber orchestra.
descant
MLOD (textmessaging)
2 (noun)
Definition
sounds that are pleasant because of their tone or arrangement, esp. words of poetry
Her voice was full of melody.
Synonyms
tunefulness
music
harmony
singing in harmony
musicality
euphony
melodiousness
MLOD (textmessaging)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of air
Definition
a simple tune
an old Irish air
Synonyms
tune,
song,
theme,
melody,
strain,
lay,
aria
in the sense of descant
Definition
a tune played or sung above a basic melody
Synonyms
counterpoint,
song,
tune,
melody,
decoration
in the sense of harmony
Definition
a pleasant combination of two or more notes sounded at the same time
singing in harmony
Synonyms
tune,
melody,
unison,
tunefulness,
euphony,
melodiousness
Synonyms of 'melody'
melody
Explore 'melody' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of refrain
Definition
a frequently repeated part of a song
a refrain from an old song
Synonyms
chorus,
song,
tune,
melody
in the sense of song
Definition
a piece of music with words, composed for the voice
a voice singing a Spanish song
Synonyms
ballad,
air,
tune,
lay,
strain,
carol,
lyric,
chant,
chorus,
melody,
anthem,
number,
hymn,
psalm,
shanty,
pop song,
ditty,
canticle,
canzonet,
choon (slang),
waiata (New Zealand)
in the sense of strain
She could hear the tinny strains of a chamber orchestra.