escapism

noun

Definition of escapismnext
as in entertainment
an activity that allows people to forget about the real problems of life The movie is pure escapism. Reading romantic novels is for her a form of escapism.

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of escapism Parton’s response, according to Cyrus, was essentially a reminder that music could be a form of escapism. — Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 17 Sep. 2026 But even at its most explicit, in documentaries, political cinema acts as an antidote to the culture’s wearying vogue for escapism. — Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026 The Imaginarium’s Phil Robertson describes the effect as something closer to augmentation than escapism. — Ben Croll, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026 This irresistible escapism is set among the world of the ultrarich. — Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for escapism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escapism
  1. entertainment
  2. amusement
  3. enjoyment
  4. relaxation
Noun
  • Spin is the result of eight years of research and development started in 2016 and handled by a team of about 10 tech, fashion and entertainment professionals in addition to Albrighi and Kuo, who serve as co-chief executive officers of the company.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • K-pop has historically been an industry that holds idols — the name given to pop stars in the Korean entertainment industry — to an extremely high standard.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of entertainment
Noun
  • Arcade games, go-karts, amusement rides, and more from Fun Spot America are all up for grabs following the Fayetteville park's recent closure.
    — CBS News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Besides being a legendary singer and songwriter of chart-toppers, Parton as a shrewd entrepreneur turned her namesake Tennessee theme park Dollywood into one of the world’s top amusement destinations.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of amusement
Noun
  • They were found to sharply increase how long people continued to engage, but often for reasons of anger and curiosity, rather than enjoyment.
    — Pascal Vrticka, Scientific American, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Richardson discusses how his early fascination with science and his enjoyment of science fiction has influenced his poetry and considers the way his aphorisms counterbalance his more lyric poems.
    — Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of enjoyment
Noun
  • In addition to that central pool, the spa complex contains a tepidarium (warm relaxation room), Byzantine hammam (steam room), salt cave, Watsu pool, yoga and fitness rooms, and an area for massages and other treatments.
    — CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Then came the surprising part The team used muon spin relaxation to look for extremely weak magnetic fields inside the material.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of relaxation

Browse Nearby Words

escaping
escapism
escapisms
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Escapism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escapism. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Luddite

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All