Standard Lemma guide

joyless

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

adj

Meaning 1

Without joy; unhappy, sad.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Without Joy, my life is joyless!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective

Meaning 2

not experiencing or inspiring joy

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a joyless man
  • a joyless occasion
  • joyless evenings

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: joyous

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English joy Proto-Indo-European *lewh1- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Proto-Germanic *-lausaz Proto-West Germanic *-laus Old English -lēas Middle English -les English -less English joyless From joy + -less.

Across languages

Translations

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: тъжен (tǎžen) — without joy
  • Bulgarian: мрачен (mračen) — without joy
  • Esperanto: senĝoja — without joy
  • Georgian: უსიხარულო (usixarulo) — without joy
  • Georgian: გაუხარებელი (gauxarebeli) — without joy
  • German: freudlos — without joy
  • Ancient Greek: ἀγηθής (agēthḗs) — without joy
  • Irish: dúchroíoch — without joy
  • Lithuanian: bedžiaugsmis — without joy
  • Old English: wynlēas — without joy
  • Polish: bezradosny — without joy
  • Spanish: triste — without joy
  • Spanish: amargado — without joy
  • Turkish: neşesiz — without joy
  • Turkish: keyifsiz — without joy