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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.

Shrinking perks and growing fears about AI are turning offices into joyless places.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2026

It seems joyless and sad, especially for women.

From Salon • Dec. 27, 2024

But from the snapshots we see, these encounters seem mostly humiliating and joyless.

From New York Times • Apr. 25, 2024

The guests laughed, but it was a joyless laughter, the sort of laughter that can turn into sobbing in half a heartbeat.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

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.