as in unhappy
feeling unhappiness
was utterly joyless after his bitter divorce
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Recent Examples of joyless
Pills even out her emotions but her brain is joyless.
—
Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
The more renowned the art, the greater the number of clueless lookers, joyless collectors, donors in search of tax breaks, and steroidal museums.
—Jackson Arn, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
By comparison—and in contrast to its buoyant first season—Stranger Things has devolved into a joyless, uninspired, unidirectional slog.
—Judy Berman, Time, 26 Dec. 2025
The joyless union is being pushed by Lord and Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston) so that the wealth stays in the family.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025
This hopelessly dreary production is intent on capturing only the compulsive, joyless comedown of its main character’s kamikaze choice to blow his life up.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
The idea propagated by Saturday Night Live skits and sitcom one-liners that Lilith Fair was a misandrist showcase for joyless, hormonal angst was totally alien to accounts of what being there actually felt like.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 30 Sep. 2025
This joyless, crass Platinum Dunes remake (directed by Marcus Nispel) regurgitates the original’s plot with additional gore but without any of the sharp wit.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Sep. 2025
And somewhere between charting, coding and clicking through drop-down menus, the doctor wonders — when did this job become so joyless?
—Kolawole Samuel Adebayo, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
The more renowned the art, the greater the number of clueless lookers, joyless collectors, donors in search of tax breaks, and steroidal museums.
—Jackson Arn, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
By comparison—and in contrast to its buoyant first season—Stranger Things has devolved into a joyless, uninspired, unidirectional slog.
—Judy Berman, Time, 26 Dec. 2025
The joyless union is being pushed by Lord and Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston) so that the wealth stays in the family.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025
This hopelessly dreary production is intent on capturing only the compulsive, joyless comedown of its main character’s kamikaze choice to blow his life up.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
The idea propagated by Saturday Night Live skits and sitcom one-liners that Lilith Fair was a misandrist showcase for joyless, hormonal angst was totally alien to accounts of what being there actually felt like.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 30 Sep. 2025
This joyless, crass Platinum Dunes remake (directed by Marcus Nispel) regurgitates the original’s plot with additional gore but without any of the sharp wit.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Sep. 2025
And somewhere between charting, coding and clicking through drop-down menus, the doctor wonders — when did this job become so joyless?
—Kolawole Samuel Adebayo, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for joyless
Adjective
-
Domingo Morel, a professor at New York University who studies state takeovers of local schools, said most local residents wind up unhappy with the methods used by state interventionists and the results.—
Bri Hatch,
Chalkbeat,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Audrey, the single and childless and PhD-less product of a stable but unhappy home, has fallen short of the life planned out for her by her parents.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The same sad and sinister menace occupying 1600 Penn.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Of course, after a while the thrill of getting caught fades, and sneaking around becomes deeply sad rather than sexy.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
For someone already feeling lonely, depressed or emotionally overwhelmed, turning to AI for connection can backfire.—
Brianna Hardcastle,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Feb. 2026
-
As Maneesh, the doe-eyed Disney Channel alum Karan Brar exudes depressed decency but never quite taps into the messy turmoil that might complicate the coder’s choices.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In those years, a miserable and extensive roster of racially inflected deaths, from the Central Park jogger and the Exonerated Five to so many more, dominated local news programs and the tabloids, especially Rupert Murdoch’s Post.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Even 54 games into this miserable campaign, there’s yet to be even an attempt at a course-correcting move.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Neighbors said they were heartbroken to hear about the incident.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The younger brother of a man shot celebrating his birthday in the Bronx witnessed the slaying and was wounded by the gunman too, the siblings’ heartbroken mother revealed Monday.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
All the while, the river shimmers in the sun, blue then green, then melancholy and moody as cloud shadows sweep overhead.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
This is an example of Anderson as a unique artist who uses whimsy, melancholy, innovative storytelling and a great deal of historical research, all on display in this visually rich gem.—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Azzi Fudd scored 27 points and Sarah Strong added 26 to help UConn beat Tennessee, handing the Lady Vols their worst loss in the storied rivalry.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026
-
To that end, here’s a selection of the best (and most enjoyably bad) literary film and TV coming to streaming services this month.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In the footage, Rivera is initially apologetic to the trooper who pulls him over, saying sorry for going through a red light.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Bloom’s Keiwon Gulley is too irrepressible and in the moment to ever feel sorry for himself.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Joyless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/joyless. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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