joyless

adjective

Definition of joylessnext
as in unhappy
feeling unhappiness was utterly joyless after his bitter divorce

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of joyless A little light relief would be welcome in these joyless times. — Kate Andrews, Washington Post, 4 Aug. 2026 To give up drinking can feel like trading in your exciting, chaotic, heroic existence for a drab and joyless one. — Literary Hub, 13 July 2026 Call it hypocrisy or honesty, either way, Season 3 is a joyless exercise that’s nonetheless an improvement on the wayward Season 2. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 June 2026 With its joyless austerity, the dish bears almost no resemblance to actual chicken paprikás, which is boisterous and dense and, crucially, should involve a considerable portion of hearty starches to sop it all up. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 June 2026 How to find light in a joyless season. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026 It was filled with joyless body language, caused by Gauff losing touch with the relaxation routines, like going to her towel and breathing or eating some fruit. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 26 May 2026 Like the then French President’s 2002 joyless re-election over the far-right candidate Marie Le Pen, Bass could win handily over Pratt by default. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 May 2026 Word around baseball is all the losing has turned the Mets clubhouse, which has already been fractured these past couple years, into a joyless brig. — Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for joyless
  1. unhappy
  2. sad
  3. depressed
  4. miserable
  5. heartbroken
  6. melancholy
  7. bad
  8. sorry
Adjective
  • Some Democratic board members noted that voters unhappy with Lukas’ performance can express their dissatisfaction in the 2028 election.
    — Alicia Fabbre, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • When the motorcycle crew was unhappy with the drugs, Hinman and Beausoleil got into a confrontation.
    — Kalia Richardson, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of unhappy
Adjective
  • Washington Post cartoonist Clifford Berryman quickly produced a cartoon showing Roosevelt refusing to shoot a tiny bear cub with big sad eyes and a rope around its neck.
    — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
  • These sad conventions; these American ways of being, pacing to the end of a block and back like hamsters.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of sad
Adjective
  • By mid-December, Clancy was feeling very depressed, Tufts said.
    — Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • While there is plenty of food, everyone looks pretty depressed.
    — William Earl, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of depressed
Adjective
  • Rebounding from a miserable 2025 Hiring had rebounded this year from a lackluster 2025 in the face of the conflict in the Persian Gulf that has sent energy prices surging and put a strain on family budgets.
    — Josh Boak, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Some are hopeful that the implementation of the plan would alleviate their daily miserable existence and improve conditions.
    — Mkhaimar Abusada, The Conversation, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of miserable
Adjective
  • Neighbors of the family told WABC they are heartbroken over the tragedy.
    — Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Followers were heartbroken that their idol had, potentially, signed away his creation.
    — Kyle MacNeill, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of heartbroken
Adjective
  • Blending dry Finnish humour with melancholy and unexpected warmth, ATLANTIS PASILA turns its distinctly local setting into an intimate portrait of a generation searching for connection.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Everything is infused with melancholy, the unfailing indicator of the fundamental rift between humans and their natural environment.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of melancholy
Adjective
  • Sensing a disconnect or worse, a feeling of being forgotten, Campbell this summer invited some of the men who wrote those letters to campus.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Dry weather periods are expected in Colorado, and wildfires tend to be worse during these times.
    — Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of bad
Adjective
  • There has also always been a place for vice in fragrance (sorry to point out that classic diet cola and cigarettes, while very Gabbriette right now, are not actually good for you).
    — Loren Savini, Allure, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Evidence of silence quietly (sorry) breaking apart one’s bearings bleeds through both the main plot thread and satellite storylines, which include recurring visits to a client of Ninh’s and that man’s own conflicts with his distant wife.
    — Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of sorry

Browse Nearby Words

joying
joyless
joylessly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Joyless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/joyless. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of joyless for Spanish Speakers

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