melody

noun

mel·​o·​dy ˈme-lə-dē 

plural melodies

1

: a sweet or agreeable succession or arrangement of sounds

whilst all the winds with melody are ringing

—P. B. Shelley

2

: a rhythmic succession of single tones organized as an aesthetic whole

a hummable melody

the piper's fingers play the melody on a pipe called a chanter

—Pat Cahill

melodic

mə-ˈlä-dik 

adjective

melodically

mə-ˈlä-di-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• air
• lay
• song
• strain
• tune
• warble

Examples of melody in a Sentence

He wrote a piece that includes some beautiful melodies.

a composer known for his love of melody

He sang a few old melodies.

Recent Examples on the Web

First, Seb does a little dance to the melody of our Zojirushi rice cooker. —Mia Leimkuhler, New York Times, 7 May 2025

Taking the main melody, the nine-time Grammy winner’s piercing voice soars over lush harmonies provided by the other singers, with Eilish adding her own tasteful riffs throughout. —Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 5 May 2025

Together with bass player Zeta Bosio and drummer Charly Alberti, Cerati proved from the onset that his band’s regal melodies and Spanish wordplay were just as seductive as the polished radio hits in English that dominated the airwaves. —Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 3 May 2025

The album, itself named after a perfume, taps into her trademark skill for turning misty, windswept synths into lush backdrops for heavenly melodies to thunderbolt right into. —Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 2 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English melodie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin melodia, from Greek melōidia chanting, music, from melos limb, musical phrase, song (probably akin to Breton mell joint) + aeidein to sing — more at ode

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

melody

noun

mel·​o·​dy ˈmel-əd-ē 

plural melodies

1

: a pleasing succession of sounds

2

: a series of musical tones arranged to give a pleasing effect

3

: the leading part in a musical composition involving harmony