Melancholia: meaning, definitions and examples
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melancholia
[ ˌmɛlənˈkoʊliə ]
emotional state
Melancholia is a deep, persistent sadness or depression, often characterized by a lack of interest in daily activities and a sense of hopelessness. It can be a reaction to various emotional or physical traumas, or may arise without apparent cause. This condition may affect an individual's ability to function normally in society.
Synonyms
depression, gloom, sadness, sorrow.
Examples of usage
- She felt a wave of melancholia wash over her during the rainy afternoon.
- His melancholia was evident in his art, which often depicted dark and brooding themes.
- Despite the festivities around him, he could not shake off the melancholia that had settled in his heart.
Translations
Translations of the word "melancholia" in other languages:
🇵🇹 melancolia
🇮🇳 उदासी
🇩🇪 Melancholie
🇮🇩 melankolis
🇺🇦 меланхолія
🇵🇱 melancholia
🇯🇵 メランコリア
🇫🇷 mélancolie
🇪🇸 melancolía
🇹🇷 melankoli
🇰🇷 우울증
🇸🇦 كآبة
🇨🇿 melancholie
🇸🇰 melanchólia
🇨🇳 忧郁
🇸🇮 melanholija
🇮🇸 melankólía
🇰🇿 меланхолия
🇬🇪 მელანქოლია
🇦🇿 melankoliya
🇲🇽 melancolía
Etymology
The word 'melancholia' originates from the ancient Greek term 'melankholía', which is composed of 'melas' (meaning 'black') and 'cholé' (meaning 'bile'). This term was historically associated with the concept of the four humors in ancient medicine, where an excess of black bile was thought to cause a melancholic temperament. The connection of black bile to sadness and gloom was prevalent in ancient medical theories, influencing thinkers such as Hippocrates and Galen. Throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, melancholia was often romanticized as a condition of creative genius, famously linked to figures like Shakespeare and Beethoven. As psychology evolved, the term melded into contemporary discussions of mood disorders and has since been adopted in various cultural contexts to describe profound sadness or emotional distress.