dystopian
adjective
dys·to·pi·an
(ˌ)dis-ˈtō-pē-ən 
variants
or less commonly dystopic
: of, relating to, or being an imagined world or society in which people lead dehumanized, fearful lives : relating to or characteristic of a dystopia
A twisted romantic haunted by dystopian visions, Gibson borrows the language of science fiction and crafts doomed love stories with high-tech trappings.—
Maitland McDonagh
Maitland McDonaghDystopian visions are in a sense mythopoeic: depicting a creation myth in a future world of darkness and silence.—Sarah Lefanu
Sarah LefanuBiotechnology is a force for good, but without adherence to the ideal of universal human equality, it opens the door to the soft tyranny of Gattaca and, ultimately the dystopian nightmare of Brave New World.—Wesley J. Smith
Wesley J. SmithLike many advances in science and technology, the dystopian implications of data mining have been described best by science-fiction writers.—John Markoff
John Markoff… Orwellian has become a word itself: an adjective denoting a dystopic world where language is cut adrift from meaning.—Harvey A. Daniels
Harvey A. DanielsLetter by letter, we read of a society that seems to move from one dystopic nightmare to another …—Simon Winchester
Simon WinchesterExamples of dystopian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The show follows a new generation of young women in the dystopian Gilead.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 1 Apr. 2025
All the Lost Ones is set amid a dystopian America, where a civil war has torn the nation apart.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2025
When dystopian politics make the grasp of reality a shifting target, while news cycles amplify discord, and social media reinforce already harrowing echo chambers, our daily interactions can leave us bewildered by the seemingly foreign logic of others.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
The fears around the dystopian take on the future, which garnered the applause of the producer-heavy crowd, had actually followed on from Barmack highlighting how AI can level the playing field for filmmakers and creatives.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dystopian
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Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 1 Apr. 2025
All the Lost Ones is set amid a dystopian America, where a civil war has torn the nation apart.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2025
When dystopian politics make the grasp of reality a shifting target, while news cycles amplify discord, and social media reinforce already harrowing echo chambers, our daily interactions can leave us bewildered by the seemingly foreign logic of others.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
The fears around the dystopian take on the future, which garnered the applause of the producer-heavy crowd, had actually followed on from Barmack highlighting how AI can level the playing field for filmmakers and creatives.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dystopian
Cite this Entry
“Dystopian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dystopian. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.
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