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Melancholy vs Ecstatic - What's the difference?

melancholy | ecstatic |

As adjectives the difference between melancholy and ecstatic

is that melancholy is affected with great sadness or depression while ecstatic is feeling or characterized by ecstasy.

As nouns the difference between melancholy and ecstatic

is that melancholy is (historical) black bile, formerly thought to be one of the four "cardinal humours" of animal bodies while ecstatic is (in the plural) transports of delight; words or actions performed in a state of ecstasy.

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

    ecstatic

    English

    Alternative forms

    * ecstatick (obsolete) * extatic (obsolete) * extatick (obsolete) * extatique (qualifier)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Feeling or characterized by ecstasy.
  • Extremely happy.
  • *
  • Relating to, or caused by, ecstasy or excessive emotion.
    • ecstatic''' gaze; '''ecstatic trance
  • * Hammond
    • This ecstatic fit of love and jealousy.

    Synonyms

    * blissful * delirious * elated * euphoric * joyful * joyous

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (in the plural) Transports of delight; words or actions performed in a state of ecstasy.
  • * 1819 , Lord Byron, Don Juan , III.11:
    • I think that Dante's more abstruse ecstatics / Meant to personify the Mathematics.