Choose the correct synonym for melancholy from the options given below:-
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → despondent
Melancholy means a deep, lasting sadness, often without a clear cause (as an adjective, sad and gloomy). Its synonym is despondent.
Example: A feeling of melancholy came over him as he left his old school.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) boorish | rough and bad-mannered (it describes behaviour, not sadness) | His boorish remarks at dinner upset the hosts. |
| (2) benign | kind and gentle, or, for a disease, not harmful (it has no link with sadness) | The doctor said the lump was benign. |
| (3) cheerful | happy and in good spirits (the opposite of melancholy) | She is always cheerful in the morning. |
| (4) despondent (answer) | low in spirits, sad and without hope (both words describe a state of deep sadness) | The players were despondent after losing the final. |
| Synonyms of melancholy: despondent, sad, gloomy, sorrowful Antonyms of melancholy: cheerful, joyful, happy, elated Also asked in CUET (UG): melancholy – 27-05-2025 Slot 1, 22-05-2025 Slot 2, 30-05-2023 Slot 3, 21-08-2022 Slot 1 boorish – 20-05-2025 Slot 1 benign – 14-05-2026 Slot 2, 31-05-2025 Slot 1, 21-05-2025 Slot 2 despondent – 26-05-2025 Slot 1 |