adjective
melancholic
adjective
1
Feeling or showing deep, often thoughtful sadness.
"The film has a melancholic tone that lingers long after it ends."
noun
1
A person who is habitually sad or given to melancholy.
"He was a natural melancholic, always seeing the gloomier side of things."
How to Use Melancholic
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSad in a quiet, reflective way, or a person prone to that kind of sadness.
Common mistake
"Melancholic" is the adjective describing a person or mood; "melancholy" can be either the adjective or the noun for the sadness itself.
Easily confused with
Word Forms
more melancholic comparative, melancholics plural, most melancholic superlative
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The film has a _____ tone that lingers long after it ends.
Etymology
From Greek melankholikos, describing someone with a melancholic temperament — traditionally blamed on an excess of "black bile."