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 Odyssey as Penelope, the dystopian sci-fi thriller The End of Oak Street, and an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s Verity.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 19 June 2026
The silent sci-fi film, which depicts a dystopian future in which the wealthy upper class prospers in a utopia while the working class lives and toils in a dismal underground society, was released in theaters in 1927.
—Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 16 June 2026
The dystopian cast of this tale was a result of my prompt.
—Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
Other rewards have taken a more dystopian turn.
—T.m. Brown, CNN Money, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for dystopian
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Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 19 June 2026
The silent sci-fi film, which depicts a dystopian future in which the wealthy upper class prospers in a utopia while the working class lives and toils in a dismal underground society, was released in theaters in 1927.
—Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 16 June 2026
The dystopian cast of this tale was a result of my prompt.
—Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
Other rewards have taken a more dystopian turn.
—T.m. Brown, CNN Money, 12 June 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 21 Jun. 2026.
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