• adj. 憂郁的；使人悲傷的
• n. 憂郁；悲哀；愁思

來自拉丁語melancholia,來自希臘語malankholia,黑膽汁過度分泌， 憂郁，悲傷，來自melas,黑的，詞源同melanin,khole,膽汁，詞源同gall.在古代觀念中，人的憂郁，悲傷等是由于黑膽汁的過度分泌引起的。參照humor,體液，體液學說。

melancholy

melancholy: [14] Etymologically, melancholy means ‘black gall’. The word comes via Old French melancolie and late Latin melancholia from Greek melagkholíā, a compound formed from mélās ‘black’ (source also of English melanin [19] and melanoma [19]) and kholé ‘bile’ (a relative of English gall). This ‘black bile’ was one of the four bodily substances or ‘humours’ whose relative preponderance, according to medieval medical theory, determined a person’s physical and mental state. Excess of black bile was thought to cause depression – hence the modern meaning of melancholy.
=> gall, melanoma

melancholy (n.)

c. 1300, "condition characterized by sullenness, gloom, irritability," from Old French melancolie "black bile, ill disposition, anger, annoyance" (13c.), from Late Latin melancholia, from Greek melankholia "sadness," literally (excess of) "black bile," from melas (genitive melanos) "black" (see melanin) + khole "bile" (see Chloe). Medieval physiology attributed depression to excess of "black bile," a secretion of the spleen and one of the body's four "humors."

The Latin word also is the source of Spanish melancolia, Italian melancolia, German Melancholie, Danish melankoli, etc. Old French variant malencolie (also in Middle English) is by false association with mal "sickness."

melancholy (adj.)

late 14c., "with or caused by black bile; sullen, gloomy, sad," from melancholy (n.); sense of "deplorable" (of a fact or state of things) is from 1710.

1. He fixed me with those luminous, empty eyes and his melancholy smile.

他笑容憂郁地凝視著我，閃亮的眼睛里空無一物。

來自柯林斯例句

2. The general watched the process with an air of melancholy.

將軍神情憂郁地望著隊列經過。

來自柯林斯例句

3. Melancholy and mistrust of men hold her back.

憂郁的性格和對男人的不信任使她裹足不前。

來自柯林斯例句

4. A mood of melancholy descended on us.

一種悲傷的情緒襲上我們的心頭。

來自《權威詞典》

5. All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.

他立即陷入無盡的憂思之中.

來自《簡明英漢詞典》