plural melodies
1
: a sweet or agreeable succession or arrangement of sounds
whilst all the winds with melody are ringing—
P. B. Shelley
P. B. Shelley2
: 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
Pat Cahill
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
Along with the four different modes of play, babies will love the 100 melodies and phrases, which come in four languages: English, Spanish, French, and German.
—Christine Luff, Parents, 22 Apr. 2024
Advertisement ‘So Long, London’ Even with its stunning melody, the lyrics are the star of this song.
—Kaitlyn Huamani, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2024
With that in mind, the industry has recognized his ability to spin words and melody into chart hits, lauding him with nominations in both the new male artist of the year category, as well as the artist-songwriter of the year category, at the upcoming Academy of Country Music Awards in May.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 19 Apr. 2024
Swift is an expert at Trojan horse songs: Lyrics that cut hidden beneath an innocuous, upbeat melody.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
And her melodies will at times take on three different shapes within a single chorus.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2024
The biggest hit of his career, Combs' take is pretty straightforward, letting Chapman's beautiful lyrics and melodies lead the way.
—Journal Sentinel, 13 Apr. 2024
The 10-song collection — which her idols would be proud of — showcases the vivid storytelling and catchy melodies she's become known for.
—Jeff Nelson, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
With hooks and melodies for days alongside a modern, yet eternal, level of crunch and angst, the four women from Toronto have proven themselves to be an elite rock band for the ages.
—Spin Contributor, SPIN, 11 Apr. 2024
Christine Luff, Parents, 22 Apr. 2024
Advertisement ‘So Long, London’ Even with its stunning melody, the lyrics are the star of this song.
—Kaitlyn Huamani, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2024
With that in mind, the industry has recognized his ability to spin words and melody into chart hits, lauding him with nominations in both the new male artist of the year category, as well as the artist-songwriter of the year category, at the upcoming Academy of Country Music Awards in May.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 19 Apr. 2024
Swift is an expert at Trojan horse songs: Lyrics that cut hidden beneath an innocuous, upbeat melody.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
And her melodies will at times take on three different shapes within a single chorus.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2024
The biggest hit of his career, Combs' take is pretty straightforward, letting Chapman's beautiful lyrics and melodies lead the way.
—Journal Sentinel, 13 Apr. 2024
The 10-song collection — which her idols would be proud of — showcases the vivid storytelling and catchy melodies she's become known for.
—Jeff Nelson, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
With hooks and melodies for days alongside a modern, yet eternal, level of crunch and angst, the four women from Toronto have proven themselves to be an elite rock band for the ages.
—Spin Contributor, SPIN, 11 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'melody.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to melody
Dictionary Entries Near melody
Cite this Entry
“Melody.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/melody. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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