joyless

[ joi-lis ]

/ ˈdʒɔɪ lɪs /

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See synonyms for: joyless / joylessly / joylessness on Thesaurus.com

adjective

without joy or gladness; unhappy: the joyless days of the war.

causing no joy or pleasure.

OTHER WORDS FOR joyless

1 sad, cheerless, gloomy, dismal, miserable.

See synonyms for joyless on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR joyless

1 joyous.

See antonyms for joyless on Thesaurus.com

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of joyless

First recorded in 1300–50, joyless is from the Middle English word joyles.See joy, -less

OTHER WORDS FROM joyless

joy·less·ly, adverbjoy·less·ness, noun

Words nearby joyless

joy buzzer, Joyce, Joycean, Joyce, James, joyful, joyless, Joyner, Joyner-Kersee, joyous, joypad, joypop

How to use joyless in a sentence

She’s appalled by the “solitary, joyless rectitude” of another enslaved Trojan who insists on covertly burying Priam and performing funeral rites at the grave.
Pat Barker’s ‘The Women of Troy’ continues her brilliant reassessment of the Trojan War|Wendy Smith|August 24, 2021|Washington Post
In response to the latter, a new generation of chefs, most notably David Chang, embraced the “lowbrow,” waxing about Popeyes and Domino’s, insisting anyone who didn’t enjoy it was a joyless snob.
Fast Food’s Retro Glow-Up|Jaya Saxena|March 25, 2021|Eater
Boston Red Sox historian Gordon Edes called it “the most joyless World Series ever.”
This Year's World Series Isn't the First Played During a Pandemic. Here's What Happened to Baseball in 1918|Melissa August|October 23, 2020|Time
I mean, what kind of joyless world are we leaving for our children?
Why Your Kids Must Watch ‘South Park’|Nick Gillespie|September 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

If married life is as boring and joyless as this document, I am glad I am celibate.
Did the Pope Just Wink at Gay Marriage?|Barbie Latza Nadeau|June 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The quintessentially American lesson he learns is never to be joyless.
A History of American Fun|Stefan Beck|February 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The traffic was as light as if it were some joyless holiday.
Hurricane Sandy Victim Jacob Vogelman’s Mother Remembers His Life|Michael Daly|November 1, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The man was like a dark cloud—rather like having a joyless loan officer run the country.
What Cameron Is Up Against|Tunku Varadarajan|May 12, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Only that strange bird perched, joyless and alone, over the fire, on the pole from which the kettle hung.
Stories the Iroquois Tell Their Children|Mabel Powers
As this joyless impossibility flitted across my mind, I rounded a bleak sand-dune.
In Search of the Unknown|Robert W. Chambers
After many years of joyless life, the blind grandmother had at last found something to make her happy.
Heidi|Johanna Spyri
This made the fourth, and the wife of only six months' standing, had a heavy and joyless heart.
The White Shield|Myrtle Reed
The seeming loveless weather that hung over the earth and filled the air, was in joyless harmony with his feelings.
There and Back|George MacDonald

British Dictionary definitions for joyless

joyless

/ (ˈdʒɔɪlɪs) /

adjective

having or producing no joy or pleasure

Derived forms of joyless

joylessly, adverbjoylessness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

joyless

OTHER WORDS FOR joyless

OPPOSITES FOR joyless

Origin of joyless

OTHER WORDS FROM joyless

Words nearby joyless

Words related to joyless

How to use joyless in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for joyless

Derived forms of joyless