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Synonyms

joyless

American  
[joi-lis] / ˈdʒɔɪ lɪs /

adjective

  1. without joy or gladness; unhappy.

    the joyless days of the war.
    Synonyms:
    miserable, dismal, gloomy, cheerless, sad
    Antonyms:
    joyous

  2. causing no joy or pleasure.

joyless British  
/ ˈdʒɔɪlɪs /

adjective

  1. having or producing no joy or pleasure

"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

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.

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

Leadership sets the tone, and right now that tone feels tense and joyless.

From Los Angeles Times

There were a few cafés and bars, but they seemed careless, dusty, and joyless places.

From Literature

And it is not going to get any easier in his joyless, toxic reign at Tottenham.

From BBC

Spurs - as a club and fanbase - is currently a joyless place.

From BBC

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.