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 future of work is not a dystopian one of replacement, but a collaborative one of amplification.
—Marco Argenti, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
John Malkovich will be donning the white rose of the young-adult dystopian saga's primary villain, President Coriolanus Snow, in the upcoming London stage play based on Suzanne Collins' beloved The Hunger Games book and Lionsgate’s blockbuster film adaptation.
—Jen Juneau, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
Despite the dystopian vibes of the innovation that is Tilly, some voiced their disapproval with a bit of levity.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2025
Sometimes those promises seem plainly dystopian.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dystopian
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Marco Argenti, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
John Malkovich will be donning the white rose of the young-adult dystopian saga's primary villain, President Coriolanus Snow, in the upcoming London stage play based on Suzanne Collins' beloved The Hunger Games book and Lionsgate’s blockbuster film adaptation.
—Jen Juneau, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
Despite the dystopian vibes of the innovation that is Tilly, some voiced their disapproval with a bit of levity.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2025
Sometimes those promises seem plainly dystopian.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 27 Sep. 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 8 Oct. 2025.
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