Meanings
nounmelancholy thistle (plural melancholy thistles)
plural melancholy thistles
- Any thistle of species Cirsium helenioides or Cirsium heterophyllum.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounperennial stoloniferous thistle of northern Europe with lanceolate basal leaves and usually solitary heads of reddish-purple flowers
Similar
Cirsium heterophylumCirsium helenioides
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Once considered a cure for sadness.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
melancholy thistle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/melancholy%20thistle
MLA
“melancholy thistle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/melancholy%20thistle. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “melancholy thistle,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/melancholy%20thistle.
Source: melancholy thistle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.