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
City garages can feel dystopian in the best of times, especially late at night.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Gun-shooting humanoid robots fighting on the front lines are becoming less of a dystopian fantasy.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 3 Apr. 2026
That means, of course, she’s now been phased out of her role as a factory lackey in dystopian near-future Brazil due to her age.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2026
To celebrate the upcoming release of the Hulu dystopian drama series, which is a follow-up to The Handmaid’s Tale, Lewinsky opted for an office-ready look accentuated with a high-chrome glow.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dystopian
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The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Gun-shooting humanoid robots fighting on the front lines are becoming less of a dystopian fantasy.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 3 Apr. 2026
That means, of course, she’s now been phased out of her role as a factory lackey in dystopian near-future Brazil due to her age.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2026
To celebrate the upcoming release of the Hulu dystopian drama series, which is a follow-up to The Handmaid’s Tale, Lewinsky opted for an office-ready look accentuated with a high-chrome glow.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 1 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 5 Apr. 2026.
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