melancholy
noun/ˈmelənkəli/, /ˈmelənkɒli/
/ˈmelənkɑːli/
[uncountable] (literary)- a feeling of being very sad that lasts for a long time and often cannot be explained
- A mood of melancholy descended on us.
- There is a brooding melancholy in his black and white photography.
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French melancolie, via late Latin from Greek melankholia, from melas, melan- ‘black’ + kholē ‘bile’, an excess of which was formerly believed to cause depression.Want to learn more?
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melancholy