Melancholics

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who experiences a persistent sense of sadness and introspection, often exhibiting a contemplative nature
2. An individual frequently inclined towards feelings of deep sorrow and reflection on their emotional experiences
3. Someone characterized by ongoing feelings of sorrow combined with a tendency to reflect deeply on life's events

Etymology: The plural "melancholics" is simply the plural of "melancholic," so the story belongs to the singular. Its deepest roots lie in ancient medicine. Greek physicians believed the body held four fluids, or humours, and an excess of black bile, "melankholia" in Greek, was thought to produce gloom. The word literally joins "melas," meaning black, and "kholē," meaning bile. The adjective passed through Latin as "melancholicus," then entered English, where it kept its old medical flavour: a melancholic person was one of a particular temperament, not simply someone who was sad. Over the centuries the sense drifted from a bodily condition toward a personality type, which is why "melancholic" now describes a disposition toward reflective sorrow.

Synonyms: sorrowful, dejected, gloomy

Antonyms: cheerful, joyful