Bluesy

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈbluːzi/

Definitions

1. Exhibiting the style or emotional quality typical of blues music
2. Having musical characteristics or mood reminiscent of traditional blues
3. Characterized by the soulful, melancholy feel associated with the blues genre

Etymology: The adjective is simply the noun "blues" with the suffix "-y" attached, meaning "having the qualities of" or "characterised by." The noun "blues" in turn comes from "blue," in the sense of low spirits or melancholy, a usage that is older than the musical genre it now names. So the word's original emotional sense is already built into its root. The word "blue" itself traces back through Old French and Anglo-Norman "bleu" to Late Latin "blāvus," and before that to a Proto-Germanic root meaning the same colour. English has used "blue" for melancholy for centuries, and "the blues" as a plural noun for fits of depression came to name the music that expressed those feelings. The "-y" ending is an ordinary English suffix, found in countless adjectives such as "sleepy" or "chilly," and it turns the noun into a description of a quality rather than a thing. "Bluesy" therefore describes music, or anything else, that carries the mood or sound associated with the blues.

Synonyms: melancholic, sorrowful, sad, moody, downhearted

Antonyms: cheerful, joyful, happy, elated, upbeat