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 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
Garland’s imagining of a dystopian near-future America Civil War took home best effects for David Simpson and best sound for Glenn Freemantle, Mary H. Ellis and Howard Bargroff.
—Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Nov. 2024
And despite the show’s dystopian setting, audiences will still be able to catch glimpses of some of Korea’s beautiful landscapes—especially on Jeju Island.
—Regina Kim, Forbes, 24 Nov. 2024
It's been just over three years since Season 1 of the series, which follows a dystopian competition show where impoverished people compete in deadly childhood games for a cash prize.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024
The 2024 Disability List features a diverse array of voices and projects, ranging from inclusive rom-coms to dystopian visions of the future to biopics about beloved artists.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2024
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Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Nov. 2024
And despite the show’s dystopian setting, audiences will still be able to catch glimpses of some of Korea’s beautiful landscapes—especially on Jeju Island.
—Regina Kim, Forbes, 24 Nov. 2024
It's been just over three years since Season 1 of the series, which follows a dystopian competition show where impoverished people compete in deadly childhood games for a cash prize.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024
The 2024 Disability List features a diverse array of voices and projects, ranging from inclusive rom-coms to dystopian visions of the future to biopics about beloved artists.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dystopian
Cite this Entry
“Dystopian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dystopian. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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