sunless

[ suhn-lis ]

adjective

1. lacking sun or sunlight; dark:

   a sunless room.

2. dismal; gloomy; cheerless:

   a sunless smile.

sunless

/ ˈsʌnlɪs /

adjective

1. without sun or sunshine
2. gloomy; depressing

Derived Forms

• ˈsunlessly, adverb
• ˈsunlessness, noun

Other Words From

• sunless·ly adverb
• sunless·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sunless¹

First recorded in 1580–90; sun + -less

Example Sentences

Shifting between naturalistic camerawork and static shots of uncanny landscapes and sunless skies, the film zooms in on Agnes’s deteriorating psychological state with minimal dialogue.

From New York Times

At roughly 3,300 feet below the surface — about 2,000 feet above the sunken ship’s location — even the faintest light has faded, leaving a sunless realm known as the aphotic zone.

From New York Times

How did the ghoulish creatures known as anglerfish pull off the evolutionary feat that let them essentially take over the ocean’s sunless depths?

From New York Times

But ceremony organizers in Olympia hold several rehearsals in the days leading up to the official lighting, which provide a backup flame should the big day prove sunless.

From Seattle Times

Japan's Moon lander has survived the harsh lunar night, the sunless and freezing equivalent to two Earth weeks.

From BBC