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 dystopian novel
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 dystopian gloom seems to have infected the new Eden.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
In his emails, Miller also referenced Jean Raspail’s dystopian novel The Camp of the Saints, a VDARE favorite.
—Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026
Again, there’s more meat on this dystopian bone.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 7 Apr. 2026
The Divergent author’s upcoming dystopian romantasy novel, Seek the Traitor’s Son, is due out this spring from Tor Books, an imprint Macmillan Publishers.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dystopian
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Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
In his emails, Miller also referenced Jean Raspail’s dystopian novel The Camp of the Saints, a VDARE favorite.
—Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026
Again, there’s more meat on this dystopian bone.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 7 Apr. 2026
The Divergent author’s upcoming dystopian romantasy novel, Seek the Traitor’s Son, is due out this spring from Tor Books, an imprint Macmillan Publishers.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dystopian
Cite this Entry
“Dystopian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dystopian. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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