[jorams]

> It's like when people say "I'm feeling melancholy". NO! You're feeling melancholic!

While I fully agree with you and it sounds incredibly weird, dictionaries don't agree with you on this one. They consider "melancholy" a synonym of "melancholic".

[helmholtz]

Yep, and they state that purposely is a real word that's been in use for 500 years. I'll fight them to my grave! My beef with it has always been that two perfect words exist already: melancholia and melancholic. Between them, they cover all the ways in which I wish to use the word.

[afarrell]

> I'll fight them to my grave!

I would advise you to reflect on which you care more about:

1. Being a supportive to a friend who feels so sad or stressed they need a more expressive word.

2. Urging people to change their words in ways that do not impact meaning.