sunless

adjective

ˈsən-ləs How to pronounce sunless (audio)
Definition of sunlessnext
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
  1. dark
  2. bleak
  3. lonely
  4. desolate
  5. depressive
  6. depressing
  7. somber
  8. gray
Adjective
  • In Helaena’s room, Rhaenyra finds a tapestry Helaena had just finished sewing that predicts a dark and fiery end for Rhaenyra in the future.
    — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026
  • For somewhere closer to home, check a light pollution map and head to an area that looks dark.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of dark
Adjective
  • But some analysts forecast a bleak future for Democrats in the right-leaning district.
    — Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The Herons' chances of advancing were already bleak after entering the match 12th in the MLS standings following their loss to Monterrey.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of bleak
Adjective
  • Cycle north along the beach to Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park, where hiking trails, lonely sands, picnic sites, and kayak rentals fronting a freshwater lake await.
    — Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 10 Aug. 2026
  • But surviving a lightning strike is often the beginning of a long and lonely medical journey.
    — Daile Zhang, The Conversation, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of lonely
Adjective
  • The desolate landscape and little human occupation thereafter helped preserve the rock art through centuries of exposure to wind, rain, and sun.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026
  • In July 1991, Gerard Dorsey was gunned down in an alley off North Brice Street in a desolate West Baltimore alley.
    — Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of desolate
Adjective
  • Most women with postpartum psychosis develop manic and depressive symptoms that can come close together or overlap.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • In a 2025 study of older parents, being cut off from an adult child was associated with poorer well-being and a reduced sense of purpose, as well as greater depressive symptoms.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of depressive
Adjective
  • The simple, rather depressing, and completely overwhelming fact of the matter is that the Marvel Cinematic Universe cannot be ignored, even as superhero fatigue has definitively set in at the global box office.
    — David Sims, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
  • The glow through the translucent stone façade prevents that journey from being downright depressing.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 29 July 2026
Definition of depressing
Adjective
  • For the past four decades, July was always a somber month for the McDonalds, a reminder of the moment that changed their family's lives.
    — Ali Bauman, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • Less than two months after her historic victory to become Japan’s first female prime minister, Takaichi Sanae stood before a bank of microphones and opposition lawmakers, looking somber.
    — Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 29 July 2026
Definition of somber
Adjective
  • Behind him is the main hall, built in 1697 and designated a prefectural cultural property, standing vigil against a slate-gray sky.
    — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The leaves and trunks of my magnolia are covered with gray to brown spots up to an inch or more in diameter?
    — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of gray

Browse Nearby Words

sun lamps
sunless
sunlight
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sunless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sunless. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All