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malinconia

melancholy

noun mah-leen-KOH-nyah Rare
Mind & Emotions Emotions

Origin: From Greek melankholia, from melas (black) + khole (bile).

Also means

sadness

Usage Note

Malinconia denotes a quiet, wistful sadness rather than acute grief. It is feminine: una malinconia profonda. The adjective is malinconico (melancholic). The phrase mi prende la malinconia — melancholy takes hold of me — is a common idiomatic construction.

Examples

"L'autunno porta sempre una certa malinconia."

Natural Translation

Autumn always brings a certain melancholy.

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