mélancolique

melancholic

adjective meh-lahn-koh-LEEK Rare

Origin: Greek melankholía 'black bile'

Also means

wistful

Usage Note

Mélancolique describes both a person's mood and the atmosphere of a place or piece of music. The noun mélancolie (f) refers to the feeling itself. It tends to suggest a gentle, bittersweet sadness rather than acute grief — closer to 'wistful' than 'despairing'.

Examples

"Il écoute de la musique mélancolique le soir."

Natural Translation

He listens to melancholic music in the evening.

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