Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Asked what Orwell would make of that, Peck gives a small, mirthless laugh.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2025

Instead, Watters relies on low-effort mockery and lazy analysis, delivered in a mellow tone, often paired with a mirthless laugh.

From Slate • May 16, 2024

Thursday night was a gruesome scene, cloaked in finery and artistry, and what an appropriate, mirthless lasting impression of Beijing 2022.

From Washington Post • Feb. 17, 2022

The scene couldn’t have been any further from the mirthless, empty arena where the Lightning won the Cup last September in a quarantined bubble across the continent in Edmonton, Alberta.

From Washington Times • Jul. 7, 2021

And still, Voldemort and Harry looked at each other, and now Voldemort tilted his head a little to the side, considering the boy standing before him, and a singularly mirthless smile curled the lipless mouth.

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling