Melancholy

Melancholy is a deep and often prolonged sadness, typically characterized by pensive reflection and a feeling of hopelessness or dejection. It's more profound than simple sadness, often involving a sense of loss, isolation, or a pining for something that's gone or unattainable. It can stem from various causes, including disappointment, grief, unfulfilled desires, or simply a philosophical contemplation on the nature of life and existence. The state often brings introspection and a subdued, introspective mood.

Melancholy meaning with examples

• As the rain poured down, mirroring his mood, he sat by the window lost in melancholy. The grey sky and the quiet house amplified his sense of isolation, and he recalled memories of a happier time, deepening his sadness for what had been lost.
• The old lighthouse keeper, haunted by the vast and empty sea, was prone to bouts of deep melancholy. He found solace only in the rhythmic flashing of his light, a tiny beacon against the darkness, a lonely reminder of the lives lost to the waves.
• Reading the final letter from his deceased grandmother induced a wave of melancholy. He was flooded with nostalgic thoughts of his youth, the loss of a loving presence, and the ephemeral nature of life and the passage of time.
• The artist often channeled her melancholy into her paintings, creating works filled with muted colors and haunting imagery, that captured feelings of loneliness and profound sadness that had plagued her from a young age. The works were somber, but beautiful.