437. Melancholy (See also Grief.)

1. Acheron river of woe in the underworld. [Gk. Myth.: Howe, 5]
2. Anatomy of Melancholy lists causes, symptoms, and characteristics of melancholy. [Br. Lit.: Anatomy of Melancholy ]
3. Barton, Amos beset by woes. [Br. Lit.: “Sad Fortunes of Amos Barton” in Walsh Modern, 45]
4. black bile humor effecting temperament of gloominess. [Medieval Physiology: Hall, 130]
5. blues melancholy, bittersweet music born among American Negroes. [Am. Music: Scholes, 113]
6. Cargill, Rev. Josiah serious, moody, melancholic minister. [Br. Lit.: St. Ronan’s Well ]
7. Carstone, Richard driven to gloom by collapse of expectations. [Br. Lit.: Bleak House ]
8. cave of Trophonius oracle so awe-inspiring, consulters never smiled again. [Gk. Myth.: Brewer Dictionary, 1103]
9. Eeyore amusingly gloomy, morose donkey. [Children’s Lit.: Winnie-the-Pooh ]
10. Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard meditative poem of a melancholy mood. [Br. Lit.: Harvey, 266]
11. Ellis Island immigration center where many families were separated; “isle of tears.” [Am. Hist.: Flexner, 193]
12. Gummidge, Mrs. “lone lorn creetur” with melancholy disposition. [Br. Lit.: David Copperfield ]
13. Hamlet black mood dominates his consciousness. [Brit. Lit.: Shakespeare Hamlet ]
14. hare flesh brings melancholy to those who eat it. [Animal Symbolism: Mercatante, 125]
15. Il Penseroso poem celebrating the pleasures of melancholy and solitude. [Br. Lit.: Milton Il Penseroso in Magill IV, 577]
16. Jaques “can suck melancholy out of a song.” [Br. Lit.: As You Like It ]
17. Mock Turtle forever weeping and bemoaning his fate. [Br. Lit.: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland ]
18. Mudville no joy here when Casey struck out. [Am. Sports Lit.: “Casey at the Bat” in Turlin, 642]
19. Orpheus composed, sang many melancholic songs in memory of deceased Eurydice. [Gk. Myth.: Orpheus and Eurydice, Magill I, 700–701]
20. Roquentin, Antoine discomfited by his existence’s purposelessness, solitarily despairs. [Fr. Lit.: Nausea ]
21. Sad Sack hapless and helpless soldier; resigned to his fate. [Comics: Horn, 595–596]
22. Valley of the Shadow of Death life’s gloominess. [O.T.: Psalms 23:4]
23. Wednesday’s child full of woe. [Nurs. Rhyme: Opie, 309]
24. yew tree symbolizes grief. [Flower Symbolism: Flora Symbolica, 178]

mel·an·chol·y / ˈmelənˌkälē/ • n. a deep, pensive, and long-lasting sadness. ∎ another term for melancholia (as a mental condition). ∎  hist. another term for black bile.• adj. sad, gloomy, or depressed: she felt a little melancholy the dog has a melancholy expression. ∎  causing or expressing sadness; depressing: the study makes melancholy if instructive reading.DERIVATIVES: mel·an·chol·ic / ˌmelənˈkälik/ adj.mel·an·chol·i·cal·ly / ˌmelənˈkälək(ə)lē/ adv.ORIGIN: Middle 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.

268. Melancholy

See also 28. ATTITUDES ; 279. MOODS

lypemania

an abnormal tendency toward deep melancholy.

melancholia

a condition of abnormal gloom or depression, of ten of an intensity to become a form of insanity. —melancholiac , n., adj. —melancholie , n., adj.

melancholy

1. black bile, one of the four bodily humors, formerly believed to be the cause of gloom, ill temper, and depression.

2. melancholia.

3. a pensive, contemplative mood.

4. Obsolete, ill temper. —melancholiac , n., adj. —melancholie , n., adj.

tristimania

melancholia.

melancholy †morbid condition of having too much ‘black bile’; † ill-temper; sadness and depression. XIV. — (O)F. mélancolie — late L. melancholia — Gr. melagkholíā, f. mélās, melan- black + kholḗ bile; see GALL1, -Y3.
So melancholic, melancholious XIV. Both adjs. were gen. superseded by an adj. use of the sb. (XVI), the termination of which suggests an adj. formation.

melancholy a deep, pensive, and long-lasting sadness. In the Middle Ages, melancholy was also synonymous with black bile, one of the four bodily humours.

The word comes ultimately from Greek melas ‘black’ + kholē ‘bile’, an excess of which was formerly believed to cause depression.