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Solemn vs Melancholy - What's the difference?

solemn | melancholy |

As adjectives the difference between solemn and melancholy

is that solemn is deeply serious and somber while melancholy is affected with great sadness or depression.

As a noun melancholy is

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

solemn

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Deeply serious and somber.
  • Somberly impressive.
  • Performed with great ceremony.
  • Sacred.
  • Gloomy or sombre.

    • Derived terms

    * solemnity * solemnize * solemnly * solemnness

    Anagrams

    * * * ----

    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