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
Does that augur a dystopian battlefield where robots make kill decisions on their own?
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 27 Nov. 2025
The latter pick should come as no surprise to Tarantino fans, as the director has regularly included Fukasaku’s 2000 dystopian action movie on lists of his favorite movies over the years.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 26 Nov. 2025
Otherwise, the Chinese Communist Party could win the AI race and lead the world into a dystopian future.
—Bill Huizenga, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025
There wasn’t enough source material to work with, and thanks to the novel’s dystopian setting, the second half felt almost too depressing for fantasy fans in packed theaters.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dystopian
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Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 27 Nov. 2025
The latter pick should come as no surprise to Tarantino fans, as the director has regularly included Fukasaku’s 2000 dystopian action movie on lists of his favorite movies over the years.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 26 Nov. 2025
Otherwise, the Chinese Communist Party could win the AI race and lead the world into a dystopian future.
—Bill Huizenga, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025
There wasn’t enough source material to work with, and thanks to the novel’s dystopian setting, the second half felt almost too depressing for fantasy fans in packed theaters.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Nov. 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 29 Nov. 2025.
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