as in unhappy
feeling unhappiness
was utterly joyless after his bitter divorce
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Recent Examples of joyless
Call it hypocrisy or honesty, either way, Season 3 is a joyless exercise that’s nonetheless an improvement on the wayward Season 2.
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 June 2026
With its joyless austerity, the dish bears almost no resemblance to actual chicken paprikás, which is boisterous and dense and, crucially, should involve a considerable portion of hearty starches to sop it all up.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 June 2026
How to find light in a joyless season.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026
It was filled with joyless body language, caused by Gauff losing touch with the relaxation routines, like going to her towel and breathing or eating some fruit.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 26 May 2026
Like the then French President’s 2002 joyless re-election over the far-right candidate Marie Le Pen, Bass could win handily over Pratt by default.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 May 2026
Word around baseball is all the losing has turned the Mets clubhouse, which has already been fractured these past couple years, into a joyless brig.
—Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026
Of course, in Louisiana, with its cheap, abundant, and locally refined gasoline, many civilians drive these behemoths, too, so at school pickups, organizers asked parents to roll their windows down and blast music, something that joyless agents would never do.
—Daniel Brook, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
If Panahi’s interview had been a joyless commiseration-fest, that would have been more than acceptable.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 June 2026
With its joyless austerity, the dish bears almost no resemblance to actual chicken paprikás, which is boisterous and dense and, crucially, should involve a considerable portion of hearty starches to sop it all up.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 June 2026
How to find light in a joyless season.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026
It was filled with joyless body language, caused by Gauff losing touch with the relaxation routines, like going to her towel and breathing or eating some fruit.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 26 May 2026
Like the then French President’s 2002 joyless re-election over the far-right candidate Marie Le Pen, Bass could win handily over Pratt by default.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 May 2026
Word around baseball is all the losing has turned the Mets clubhouse, which has already been fractured these past couple years, into a joyless brig.
—Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026
Of course, in Louisiana, with its cheap, abundant, and locally refined gasoline, many civilians drive these behemoths, too, so at school pickups, organizers asked parents to roll their windows down and blast music, something that joyless agents would never do.
—Daniel Brook, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
If Panahi’s interview had been a joyless commiseration-fest, that would have been more than acceptable.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for joyless
Adjective
-
The European Commission froze billions of euros in funds for Hungary in response to democratic backsliding led by Orbán, and concern lingers about the damage that can be done when one unhappy government insists on wielding its veto.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
-
Social media is making children unhappy and is designed to be addictive, Starmer said at a press conference.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Este is sad — Este is depressed-y.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
-
How sad or scary is ‘Toy Story 5’?—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Barry follows a depressed ex‑Marine hitman (Hader, in the title role) who turns to acting for salvation while tangling with the Chechen mob in Los Angeles.—
Stephen Rodrick,
Rolling Stone,
16 June 2026
-
Epstein seemed to feel increasingly depressed about the conditions of his incarceration.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
What started off as a miserable day to be outside due to temperatures well over 80, as well as a brief rainfall, all those issues were forgotten after once the skies cleared up.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2026
-
Despite concerns that the conflict in the Middle East could further squeeze a flagging labor market, hiring has picked up in recent months following a miserable 2025 that saw fewer than 200,000 job gains.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Sam’s maternal grandparents are especially heartbroken.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
-
Aaron Brown, her heartbroken father, spoke at the vigil.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
The play can create some real melancholy.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
18 June 2026
-
Americans are in a melancholy mood as the nation prepares to mark its 250th anniversary.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Brunson is at his best when everything is at its worst, blessed with belief that seems at times desperate and determination that can feel almost manic.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
All of the club’s worst seasons prior to 1965 took place from 1932 and before.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
No one needed to feel sorry for her.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
12 June 2026
-
By the end, he's alienated (sorry) his wife and children, among others.—
Jesse Hassenger,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Joyless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/joyless. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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