adjective
Other Word Forms
- joylessly adverb
- joylessness noun
Etymology
Origin of joyless
First recorded in 1300–50, joyless is from the Middle English word joyles. See joy, -less
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.
The column contends this response reinforced perceptions that he is a joyless bureaucrat, not a person voters can relate to or trust with state leadership.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
MIAMI—Despite arriving with one of the greatest rosters ever assembled, Team USA found a way to make its time at the World Baseball Classic look rather joyless.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
Thomas Frank is trapped in a gilded cage at Tottenham Hotspur, his attempts to escape hindered by yet another joyless experience and more Premier League points dropped.
From BBC • Jan. 4, 2026
The plot played out in the ring was lifeless - a slow, joyless watch that would have struggled to earn even a charitable rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
From BBC • Dec. 20, 2025
Unfortunately, Picnic’s mom lost that job a couple of years ago; in the last economic dip, the offices—several gray, joyless buildings filled with cubicles and meeting rooms—laid off half their cleaning staff.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
