mirthless

English

Alternative forms

• mirthlesse (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English myrtheles, equivalent to mirth +‎ -less.

Pronunciation

• enPR: mûrth'lĭs, mûrth'lĕs, IPA^(key): /ˈmɝθləs/, /ˈmɝθlɪs/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Adjective

mirthless (comparative more mirthless, superlative most mirthless)

1. Lacking mirth; devoid of joy; sad.

   Synonyms: bleak, unmirthful; see also Thesaurus:cheerless, Thesaurus:humorless

   • 1958 December 7, James Thurber, The New York Times Magazine:

     The laughter of man is more terrible than his tears, and takes more forms: hollow, heartless, mirthless, maniacal...

   • 2025 January 4, Rachel Cooke, “In life, David Lodge was surprisingly mirthless. Luckily, his wife was a hoot”, in The Observer‎, →ISSN:

     In life, David Lodge was surprisingly mirthless. Luckily, his wife was a hoot [title]

Derived terms

• mirthlessly
• mirthlessness