Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun melancholy

3 senses of melancholy

Sense 1
melancholy -- (a feeling of thoughtful sadness)
       => sadness, unhappiness -- (emotions experienced when not in a state of well-being)

Sense 2
melancholy -- (a constitutional tendency to be gloomy and depressed)
       => depression -- (a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity)

Sense 3
black bile, melancholy -- (a humor that was once believed to be secreted by the kidneys or spleen and to cause sadness and melancholy)
       => liquid body substance, bodily fluid, body fluid, humor, humour -- (the liquid parts of the body)

Antonyms of adj melancholy

2 senses of melancholy

Sense 1
melancholy, melancholic -- (characterized by or causing or expressing sadness; "growing more melancholy every hour"; "her melancholic smile"; "we acquainted him with the melancholy truth")

INDIRECT (VIA sad) -> glad -- (showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy; "glad you are here"; "glad that they succeeded"; "gave a glad shout"; "a glad smile"; "heard the glad news"; "a glad occasion")

Sense 2
somber, sombre, melancholy -- (grave or even gloomy in character; "solemn and mournful music"; "a suit of somber black"; "a somber mood")

INDIRECT (VIA depressing) -> cheerful -- (being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits; "her cheerful nature"; "a cheerful greeting"; "a cheerful room"; "as cheerful as anyone confined to a hospital bed could be")

Similarity of adj melancholy

2 senses of melancholy

Sense 1
melancholy, melancholic -- (characterized by or causing or expressing sadness; "growing more melancholy every hour"; "her melancholic smile"; "we acquainted him with the melancholy truth")
       => sad (vs. glad) -- (experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness; "feeling sad because his dog had died"; "Better by far that you should forget and smile / Than that you should remember and be sad"- Christina Rossetti)

Sense 2
somber, sombre, melancholy -- (grave or even gloomy in character; "solemn and mournful music"; "a suit of somber black"; "a somber mood")
       => depressing (vs. cheerful), cheerless, uncheerful -- (causing sad feelings of gloom and inadequacy; "the economic outlook is depressing"; "something cheerless about the room"; "a moody and uncheerful person"; "an uncheerful place")