as in drearily
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of joylessly
Then there is the steady stream of profiles on tech billionaires joylessly devoting themselves to maximizing their lifespan.
—
CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for joylessly
Adverb
-
Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the conservative nonprofit American Action Forum, has watched glumly as Republicans have drifted away from their small-government traditions.—
David M. Drucker,
Twin Cities,
19 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
One of the most affecting shots shows McCartney glancing forlornly at a seat beside him at the mixing desk.—
Jordan Runtagh,
PEOPLE,
27 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Brown then tried to ride the anti-tax, spending-limit movement into the White House two years later — but failed miserably.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
15 Jan. 2026
-
But the presence of these compounds in grapes failed miserably as a diagnostic for smoke taint.—
Nicola Twilley,
New Yorker,
5 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Instead, Republican staffers sullenly reported to messaging meetings to talk about immigration.—
Michael Scherer,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
In October, family, friends and community members somberly walked out of the courthouse, disappointed to learn the resentencing hearing for Rhoades would be delayed.—
Kayla Moeller,
CBS News,
20 Dec. 2025
-
Stafford heard the transmission clearly and nodded silently and somberly.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
11 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Picked up out of Cannes in 2024, the darkly comic thriller enjoyed a high-profile fall festival run and an awards campaign that landed it on the four-film shortlist for France’s submission for the international feature film Oscar.—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
15 Jan. 2026
-
He is known for darkly humorous and unsettling work addressing themes of trauma, social friction, and freedom.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
14 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
That can be forgiven thanks to the film’s evocative imagery and the emotional resonance of its central themes, distressingly familiar to anyone who has ever lost themselves in a relationship.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Dec. 2025
-
Reports of politically motivated violence are distressingly common – ranging from mass shootings, car-ramming attacks and assaults at demonstrations to assassination attempts, kidnappings and threats targeting mayors, governors, political activists and members of Congress.—
Justin Pickett,
The Conversation,
17 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Joylessly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/joylessly. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
