no joy

noun

Unable to establish visual or radio contact with a target aircraft.

“I've been waiting 20 minutes for a bus, and still no joy.”

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Meanings

noun
  1. governmentUnable to establish visual or radio contact with a target aircraft.
  2. idiomaticA negative outcome; no success; a failure.

    I've been waiting 20 minutes for a bus, and still no joy.

    1 more example

    We X-rayed the briefcase last night, but no joy. The P160 technician reckoned it was lined in lead foil.

    1994, Stuart Woods, Heat

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
no soap
Cite this entry
APA

no joy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/no%20joy

MLA

“no joy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/no%20joy. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “no joy,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/no%20joy.

Source: no joy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.