SUNLESS Synonyms: 115 Similar and Opposite Words

sunless

adjective

ˈsən-ləs

Definition of sunless

as in dark

causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer mental patients who were once condemned to spend their lives in the sunless confines of a state asylum

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 sunless To avoid a rash, reduce other risks of tanning, and protect your overall skin health, consider switching to a sunless self-tanner. — Carrie Madormo, Health, 24 Oct. 2025 Earth’s substantial atmosphere and geomagnetic field block most (but not all) of this bombardment, and the sunless interiors of worlds without these properties still get protection from overlying material. — Emma R. Hasson, Scientific American, 17 Aug. 2025 As a safer alternative, many people opt for sunless tanning methods such as fake tan products or sprays. — Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025 The setting is oppressive — cramped, sunless rooms in which workers push out pant after pant, shirt after shirt, vest after vest — but Wang’s gaze is never pitiful or exploitative. — Devika Girish, New York Times, 2 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for sunless

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sunless

Adjective

Aerial footage showed heavy damage to the suspect's vehicle, a dark gray sedan.

— Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 14 July 2026
They're headed to a battery recycler who will shred them into a fine, dark powder called black mass, from which those minerals can be recovered and reused in new batteries.

— Camila Domonoske, NPR, 13 July 2026

Definition of dark

Adjective

Outside of Duran’s efforts, though, the Rangers’ offense was bleak.

— Cal Phillips Updated July 11, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 July 2026
Indeed, Brocka insists on escapist fantasies in a world that otherwise offers no escape, which, in my view, is more hopeful than bleak — and, in turn, allows this kind of gritty sensuality to persist in his ever-enduring, luminous cinema.

— Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 10 July 2026

Definition of bleak

Adjective

The Hollywood Bowl was by no means a lonely bowl Sunday night, as Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass returned to pack the storied venue for the first time in 59 years.

— Chris Willman, Variety, 7 July 2026
Through letters, Ulisses charms lonely women, bilking them of money and possessions.

— Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026

Definition of lonely

Adjective

These poems, spare and sometimes desolate, teem with harsh realities and unadorned truths.

— Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 7 July 2026
In its vision of a desolate America ruled by tyranny and militia, the United States becomes, in the eyes of those who live in its pre-industrial ruins, an idealized symbol of better times.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 3 July 2026

Definition of desolate

Adjective

Unlike more overtly depressive takes on this role, Bos’ Hamlet is impetuous and sardonic, often bounding up three stairs in a single step and unspooling his words, words, words as if his mouth can’t keep up with his restless mind.

— Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), the largest and longest-running study of the menopause transition, shows women are significantly more likely to report high depressive symptoms during perimenopause than before it.

— Dr. Sarah Berg, Time, 9 July 2026

Definition of depressive

Adjective

Instead, Alfonzo’s first appearance, the culmination of nine tireless years, was somber , stricken by the grief overshadowing what should’ve been a joyous moment in the Dodgers’ to the Padres.

— Liana Handler Follow, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Flying straight from the merry Riverlands into the somber halls of Dragonstone is one hell of a comedown, but Daemon never struggles to access his dark side.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 June 2026

Definition of somber

Adjective

Reed left with the children in a gray 2020 Honda Accord four-door with a sunroof and Kansas license plate 3362AJH, according to the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.

— The Star, Kansas City Star, 12 July 2026
The blue-gray sunray dial centers around a highly legible perpetual calendar display that shows the seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years, and phases of the moon.

— Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 11 July 2026

Definition of gray

Browse Nearby Words

sun lamps

sunless

sunlight

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“Sunless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sunless. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of sunless

adjective

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