sunless

American

[suhn-lis] / ˈsʌn lɪs /

adjective

lacking sun or sunlight; dark.

a sunless room.
dismal; gloomy; cheerless.

a sunless smile.

sunless British

/ ˈsʌnlɪs /

adjective

without sun or sunshine
gloomy; depressing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

sunlessly adverb
sunlessness noun

Etymology

Origin of sunless

First recorded in 1580–90; sun + -less

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And in Aberdeen there has been no reported sunshine since 21 January - the longest sunless period in the area since Met Office records began in 1957.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

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 • May 30, 2024

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 • Apr. 15, 2024

Growing fresh produce in small, sunless places could become a real game changer as cities become more densely populated.

From National Geographic • Jan. 16, 2024

Every one of them was chalky pale, the palest of all the students living in this sunless town.

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023