:: COMPARE ::
The short answer
Melancholy implies a temperament behind it — a disposition, historically even a humour. Toska at its deepest has nothing behind it, and that emptiness is what English fixates on — though in everyday Russian it is just as often aimed at something particular. It's an ache that need not come with a cause attached, which is why it can sit at either end of a scale from anguish to boredom.
Side by side
| Aspect | Toska | Melancholy |
|---|---|---|
| Has a cause | Often none | Implied |
| Range | Anguish to boredom | Narrower |
| Is a | State | Temperament |
| Everyday word | Yes | Less so |
What each one means
Toska is a heavy ache of the soul, running anywhere on a scale from spiritual anguish to plain boredom. At its deepest it has no object at all; in everyday Russian it is just as often aimed at something particular — a place, a person, a time.
Full definition of Toska →The contrast above sets out how Melancholy differs from Toska on the points that actually matter.