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
-
People can be seen running along the top of the bus and sitting on the front bumper as the driver stares glumly ahead from inside windows tagged with graffiti.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
-
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
-
War of the Worlds star Ice Cube now has another reason to stare forlornly at his computer.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
-
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
-
If that were true, record numbers of small owners wouldn’t be staring down foreclosure and bankruptcy due to past rent freezes and years of miniscule rent adjustments that failed miserably to address across-the-board increases in building operating costs and expenses.—
Ann Korchak,
New York Daily News,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Her strategy failed miserably as lawmakers refused to give in to her demands.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
21 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Like a fisherman left empty-handed after a heavy pull at her line, the woman sullenly took Sam’s picture.—
Nora DeLigter,
Curbed,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Instead, Republican staffers sullenly reported to messaging meetings to talk about immigration.—
Michael Scherer,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
The Sierra Nevada mountains were replenished after seeing a dismally low snowpack to start the year, and snow even temporarily closed Yosemite National Park.—
Terry Castleman,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
-
In this regard, ICE and the federal government have failed dismally.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Joseph and his supporters were clad in green and white and marched somberly to the election council’s headquarters.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Mar. 2026
-
As a light dusting of snow fell over Minneapolis Sunday morning, community members lit candles, laid fresh flowers and stood somberly around a makeshift vigil at the site of Pretti’s death.—
Michael Biesecker,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
In Time Regained, the concluding volume of Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time, an older version of the narrator gloomily decides to attend a gathering at the Guermantes’ mansion.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
The darkly comedic drama confronts reality, privacy, and the delusions fueling our ever-changing world.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2026
-
This bonkers show from the darkly comedic mind of artist Jhonen Vasquez must have boarded the fastest spaceship from the planet Conventia, arriving far too early on our television sets.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Joylessly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/joylessly. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
