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Sorrowful vs Melancholy - What's the difference?

sorrowful | melancholy | Related terms |

Melancholy is a synonym of sorrowful.



As adjectives the difference between sorrowful and melancholy

is that sorrowful is of a person, full of sorrow; exhibiting sorrow; sad; dejected; distressed; distraught while melancholy is affected with great sadness or depression.

As a noun melancholy is

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

sorrowful

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Of a person, full of sorrow; exhibiting sorrow; sad; dejected; distressed; distraught.
  • Producing sorrow; exciting grief; mournful; lamentable; grievous.
    • sorrowful accident
  • * 1900 , L. Frank Baum , The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Chapter 23
    • She threw her arms around the Lion's neck and kissed him, patting his big head tenderly. Then she kissed the Tin Woodman, who was weeping in a way most dangerous to his joints. But she hugged the soft, stuffed body of the Scarecrow in her arms instead of kissing his painted face, and found she was crying herself at this sorrowful parting from her loving comrades.

    Synonyms

    * See also * mournful, lamentable, grievous * See also

    External links

    * *

    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