JOYLESS Synonyms: 168 Similar and Opposite Words

joyless

adjective

Definition of joyless

as in unhappy

feeling unhappiness was utterly joyless after his bitter divorce

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Recent Examples of joyless His trailblazing act had been reduced to a joyless recitation of his legal entanglements. — Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026 A little light relief would be welcome in these joyless times. — Kate Andrews, Washington Post, 4 Aug. 2026 To give up drinking can feel like trading in your exciting, chaotic, heroic existence for a drab and joyless one. — Literary Hub, 13 July 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for joyless

Adjective

Before long, the book moves back in time to shadow the king himself, an unhappy leader thrust into his role by chance and now on the brink of death.

— Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
Age came with evidence — every mistake, playoff loss and unhappy ending.

— Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of unhappy

Adjective

Lindsay Clancy was depressed, prosecutor says During more than four weeks of testimony, jurors heard differing views from medical experts about Clancy’s mental state after Callan’s birth.

— Michael Casey, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2026
Many established theatrical distributors are also wary of the current depressed market for documentaries.

— Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of depressed

Adjective

Fans across Kansas City posted heartbroken notes of appreciation for the country legend.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026
Speaking during a recent career retrospective hosted by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the 71-year-old actor revealed that his Thelma & Louise co-star left him heartbroken.

— Hannah Malach, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of heartbroken

Adjective

The strength of the novel — and the source of its melancholy tone — is in its scope.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Forte, and everyone else in the room, loved it, and as the lights went up, doubt and melancholy turned into frustration and confusion.

— Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of melancholy

Adjective

For those who haven’t seen the only good movie based on a board game (sorry, Battleship), Clue has multiple endings in order to simulate the repeatability of the game.

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
López, who has undergone Tommy John surgery twice, wanted to find a way to keep busy instead of feeling sorry for himself.

— Dan Hayes, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of sorry

Browse Nearby Words

joying

joyless

joylessly

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“Joyless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/joyless. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of joyless

adjective

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