adjective
Other Word Forms
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.
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
Great Britain's joyless start to the Winter Paralympics continued as wheelchair curlers Jo Butterfield and Jason Kean let slip their grasp on the mixed doubles semi-finals and missed out on qualifying.
From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026
Leadership sets the tone, and right now that tone feels tense and joyless.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 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
I don’t know why I even bothered, since I just gave them a joyless glance and pitched them to the corner of the room.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
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.
