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

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

Comments Look, some visions of dystopia hit harder than others. —Christian Holub, EW.com, 18 Apr. 2025

The result is a fantastical glimpse into a near future defined by a mixture of dystopia and utopia. —Tracey Follows, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025

Netflix’s big play for April, at least in terms of social media interaction and inspiring a thousand columns and think pieces about our coming dystopia, is the seventh season of its sci-fi tech horror anthology Black Mirror. —Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 1 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