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Melancholy vs Afflictive - What's the difference?

melancholy | afflictive | Synonyms |

Melancholy is a synonym of afflictive.


As adjectives the difference between melancholy and afflictive

is that melancholy is affected with great sadness or depression while afflictive is that causes physical or mental pain.

As a noun melancholy

is (historical) black bile, formerly thought to be one of the four "cardinal humours" of animal bodies.

melancholy

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Affected with great sadness or depression.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Ben Travers), title=(A Cuckoo in the Nest)
    • , chapter=1 citation , passage=“[…] the awfully hearty sort of Christmas cards that people do send to other people that they don't know at all well. You know. The kind that have mottoes

    Synonyms

    * (thoughtful sadness) (l) * See also

    Noun

    (melancholies)
  • (historical) Black bile, formerly thought to be one of the four "cardinal humours" of animal bodies.
  • *, Bk.I, New York 2001, p.148:
    • Melancholy , cold and dry, thick, black, and sour,is a bridle to the other two hot humours, blood and choler, preserving them in the blood, and nourishing the bones.
  • Great sadness or depression, especially of a thoughtful or introspective nature.
  • * 1593 , (William Shakespeare), , V. i. 34:
    • My mind was troubled with deep melancholy .

    Related terms

    * melancholic * sadness

    afflictive

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • That causes physical or mental pain
    • (Alexander Pope)
    (Prior)