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

Moroney joined in on a following chorus, singing the melody while McRae took a lower harmony. —Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024

Rinuccini and Peri’s Dafne was performed using a new style called recitative, in which the vocalist would have imitated the rhythm of spoken language rather than focusing on the melody. —Mariana Fernández, ARTnews.com, 18 Dec. 2024

Perhaps that’s because Leontovych composed his signature melody as war and revolution threatened in Europe. —Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Dec. 2024

The horns and brass are traded for strings, and a woman’s voice hums the iconic melody. —Jordan Moreau, Variety, 16 Dec. 2024

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