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.
By the end, and by her own hand, she was reduced to being a joyless hater of holidays and avowed enemy of All Things Fun.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
That’s not to say it was an entirely joyless event.
From Slate ● Jul. 1, 2026
“Stobaeus offers his son a strictly pagan view of the afterlife, as a grim and joyless eternity spent underground.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
The journey that fear takes him on isn't a slow-motion car crash, it's a full-throttle run of joyless rides.
From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026
He thinks she’s depressing and joyless, killing characters suddenly just when you’re getting to know them.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
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.
