Joyful
Joyful adjective - Experiencing pleasure, satisfaction, or delight.
Usage example: the news of the child's safe return made us all joyful
Melancholy is an antonym for joyful.
Melancholy
Melancholy adjective - Feeling unhappiness.
Usage example: she was a bit melancholy after her youngest child left for college
Nearby Words: melancholic, melancholia
Both words in one sentence
-
Nonindicative Title: Joy Electric has far more songs ranging from melancholy to outright wangsty than they do genuinely joyful songs.
Source: Music / Joy Electric -
This album's music is based on the idea of autumn as a season of both joyful harvest and reflective melancholy as winter approaches.
Source: Music / Sodagreen -
Lyrical Dissonance: "Christmas Time is Here" is a rather melancholy melody with some prominent minor chords, which strongly contrasts with lyrics that depict "happiness and cheer" and "joyful memories".
Source: Music / Vince Guaraldi
Cite this Source
Melancholy and Joyful. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/joyful/melancholy
Joyful & Melancholy. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/joyful/melancholy>.
Melancholy or Joyful. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/joyful/melancholy.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "joyful" and "melancholy" have occurred on timeline