melancholia

noun

mel·an·cho·lia ˌme-lən-ˈkō-lē-ə How to pronounce melancholia (audio)

: severe depression characterized especially by profound sadness and despair

Tense, irritable, I crashed into a fit of melancholia and found myself crying over inconsequential problems.

Susan Wood

A depressed Johnson was not the father figure that Boswell, himself prey to crippling bouts of melancholia and insecurity, wanted to celebrate.

Brooke Allen

: a sad quality or mood : melancholy

There's a touching melancholia to his voice …

Ralph Novak

Like Wallace's breakthrough novel, "Infinite Jest," "The Pale King" is pervaded by an air of melancholia, an acute sense of loss.

Tom McCarthy

melancholiac

ˌme-lən-ˈkō-lē-ˌak How to pronounce melancholia (audio)

noun

Did you know?

When is a word full of humor yet far from humorous? Melancholia traces back to Greek melan- ("black, dark") and cholē ("bile"). Medical practitioners once adhered to the system of humors—bodily fluids that included black bile, yellow bile, blood, and phlegm. An imbalance of these humors was thought to lead to disorders of the mind and body. One suffering from an excess of black bile (believed to be secreted by the kidneys or spleen) could become sullen, unsociable, and liable to depression. Today, doctors no longer ascribe physical and mental disorders to disruptions of the four humors, but the word melancholia is still used in psychiatry as a general term for despondency.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web There’s some nostalgia and melancholia in Connecticut, naturally, over what might have been.

Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 9 Sep. 2022 The exhibition sets out to trace a modern repurposing of melancholia by Black artists.

New York Times, 23 June 2022 To help with this season’s melancholia, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead contributed original music.

Men's Health, 10 June 2022 The limited series is atmospheric, evoking the melancholia of the not-quite-adult space in which Rooney’s characters usually exist.

Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 19 May 2022 For those of us who have loved Mann's incredible mix of melancholia and pop mastery for decades, somehow that sentiment is not the least bit surprising.

Steve Baltin, Forbes, 10 Nov. 2021 Brett Favre had taken over as the quarterback in 1991 and allowed the Packers to escape from their post-Lombardi melancholia.

Star Tribune, 31 July 2021 For the vanquished, an inevitable melancholia is tinged with optimism.

Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 3 June 2021 The melancholia that courses through this movie is of a piece with its minimalism, notable in the concision of the individual scenes and the overall running time.

Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2021 See More

单词	melancholia
释义	melancholia noun mel·an·cho·lia ˌme-lən-ˈkō-lē-ə 1 : severe depression characterized especially by profound sadness and despair Tense, irritable, I crashed into a fit of melancholia and found myself crying over inconsequential problems. Susan Wood A depressed Johnson was not the father figure that Boswell, himself prey to crippling bouts of melancholia and insecurity, wanted to celebrate. Brooke Allen 2 : a sad quality or mood : melancholy There's a touching melancholia to his voice … Ralph Novak Like Wallace's breakthrough novel, "Infinite Jest," "The Pale King" is pervaded by an air of melancholia, an acute sense of loss. Tom McCarthy melancholiac ˌme-lən-ˈkō-lē-ˌak noun Did you know? When is a word full of humor yet far from humorous? Melancholia traces back to Greek melan- ("black, dark") and cholē ("bile"). Medical practitioners once adhered to the system of humors—bodily fluids that included black bile, yellow bile, blood, and phlegm. An imbalance of these humors was thought to lead to disorders of the mind and body. One suffering from an excess of black bile (believed to be secreted by the kidneys or spleen) could become sullen, unsociable, and liable to depression. Today, doctors no longer ascribe physical and mental disorders to disruptions of the four humors, but the word melancholia is still used in psychiatry as a general term for despondency. Example Sentences Recent Examples on the Web There’s some nostalgia and melancholia in Connecticut, naturally, over what might have been. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 9 Sep. 2022 The exhibition sets out to trace a modern repurposing of melancholia by Black artists. New York Times, 23 June 2022 To help with this season’s melancholia, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead contributed original music. Men's Health, 10 June 2022 The limited series is atmospheric, evoking the melancholia of the not-quite-adult space in which Rooney’s characters usually exist. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 19 May 2022 For those of us who have loved Mann's incredible mix of melancholia and pop mastery for decades, somehow that sentiment is not the least bit surprising. Steve Baltin, Forbes, 10 Nov. 2021 Brett Favre had taken over as the quarterback in 1991 and allowed the Packers to escape from their post-Lombardi melancholia. Star Tribune, 31 July 2021 For the vanquished, an inevitable melancholia is tinged with optimism. Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 3 June 2021 The melancholia that courses through this movie is of a piece with its minimalism, notable in the concision of the individual scenes and the overall running time. Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2021 See More Word History Etymology borrowed from New Latin, going back to Late Latin, "preponderance of black bile" — more at melancholy entry 1 First Known Use circa 1553, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Medical Definition melancholia noun mel·an·cho·lia ˌmel-ən-ˈkō-lē-ə : severe depression characterized especially by profound sadness and despair melancholia noun as in melancholy Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance melancholy sadness mournfulness gloominess glumness dejection unhappiness sorrow blues miserableness heartsickness joylessness gloom somberness sorrowfulness mourning oppression dreariness despondence anguish forlornness depression grief despondency self-pity mopes downheartedness dolor despond misery distress dumps desolation blue devils doldrums dispiritedness agony wretchedness woe disconsolateness hopelessness discouragement ennui disheartenment despair dolefulness moodiness woefulness pain boredom desperation tedium self-despair Antonyms & Near Antonyms mirth gayety optimism gaiety glee humor joviality jollity lightheartedness cheerfulness hopefulness merriment gayness cheeriness mirthfulness gleefulness satisfaction sunniness contentment cheer contentedness content euphoria ecstasy gratification joy intoxication happiness exuberance elation delight exultation rapture joyousness bliss jubilation joyfulness exhilaration felicity gladness heaven blissfulness rapturousness elatedness gladsomeness See More
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melancholia

noun

Did you know?

Example Sentences

Word History

Medical Definition

noun

noun