Melancholy

"What's another word for depressed?" he'd asked me from across the room.

I looked up.

"What does melancholy mean?" I asked him, instead.

In that same instant, we both looked up the word.

mel·an·chol·y/ˈmelənˌkälē/

Adjective: Sad, gloomy, or depressed.

Noun: A deep, pensive, and long-lasting sadness.

"Melancholy," he let it roll off his tongue.

We were both quiet for a moment.

Finally, he said, "That's a lovely word. Exactly what I was looking for."