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malinconico

melancholic

adjective mah-leen-KOH-nee-koh Rare
Mind & Emotions Emotions

Origin: From Greek melankholia via Latin.

Also means

wistful

Usage Note

Malinconico describes a mood or tone of gentle, lingering sadness — closer to wistfulness than depression. It agrees in gender and number: malinconica (f sg), malinconici (m pl). The related noun la malinconia describes the feeling itself. It is a fairly literary or elevated word; everyday speech more often uses triste for simple sadness.

Examples

"Ascoltava musica malinconica in silenzio."

Natural Translation

He listened to melancholic music in silence.

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