dystopia

noun

dys·​to·​pia (ˌ)dis-ˈtō-pē-ə 

1

: an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives

There's almost a flavor of science fiction to the scenes Chilson describes, as though he were giving us a glimpse into a 21st-century dystopia of mad egoism and hurtling hulks of metal.

—Adam Goodheart

Over the course of the movie, the late-60's ideal of togetherness turns into a dystopia of violence, revulsion and finally death.

—John Leland

2

: anti-utopia sense 2

writing a dystopia

… leaping across the century to the 1990's to attempt a dystopia about the disintegration of Australian democracy into startling, irreversible despotism.

—Pearl K. Bell

Examples of dystopia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The loss of human-to-human contact is a central theme in Death Stranding and arguably both the lead cause and cost of the dystopia that the game imagines. —G Kirilloff, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025

And with a large part of its development coming from right here in Silicon Valley, Californians will have to lead the charge developing the regulations, norms and usage that prevent AI from ushering in a dystopia of inequality. —Karim Doumar, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2025

Listen a little more closely, however, and the lyrics often veer toward tales of dystopia and doomed love and mortality. —Liam Hess, Vogue, 29 Apr. 2025

Makena Kelly All the Black Mirror Season 7 Episodes Ranked If world events aren’t satisfying your dystopia itch, here’s WIRED’s guide to the new season of ‘Black Mirror.’ Corey Atad Mouse Mode on Nintendo Switch 2 Already Needs an Overhaul WIRED played Switch 2 games in mouse mode for hours. —Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 21 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

dys- + -topia (in utopia)

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dystopia

• amblyopia
• cornucopia
• hyperopia
• atropia
• cecropia
• diplopia
• myopia
• utopia
• hypermetropia

Kids Definition

dystopia

noun

dys·​to·​pia

(ˌ)dis-ˈtō-pē-ə

: an imaginary place where people are unhappy and usually afraid because they are not treated fairly

also : a work of literature about such a place

dystopian

-ən

adjective

Medical Definition

dystopia

noun

dys·​to·​pia dis-ˈtō-pē-ə 

: malposition of an anatomical part

dystopic

-ˈtō-pik  -ˈtäp-ik 

adjective