English Explanatory Dictionary

melancholia

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Deep sadness or gloom; melancholy
  2. depression, characterised by irrational fears, guilt and apathy

Pronunciation

En-us-melancholia.oga LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-melancholia.wav

Word forms

melancholia melancholias

Etymology

From Late Latin melancholia, which was in turn borrowed from the Ancient Greek medical term μελαγχολία (melankholía, “blackness of the bile”) (from μέλας (mélas), μελαν- (melan-, “black, dark, murky”) + χολή (kholḗ, “bile”)), referring to the humour which ancient Hippocratic and later Galenic medicine associated with sadness and despondency. Doublet of melancholy.

Synonyms

gloom melancholy sadness blueness tristesse mirthless blues crestfallenness dejection depression despondency distress dolefulness downheartedness drearihead forlornness grief heartsore ill-being infelicity melancholia misery mishappiness mourn prosternation regret rue ruth sorrow sorrowfulness tristfulness undelight unhappiness woe woefare wretchedness

Related words

melancholy melancholic

Derived words

melancholiac
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