dystopia
noun
dys·to·pia
(ˌ)dis-ˈtō-pē-ə 
1
: an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives
There's almost a flavor of science fiction to the scenes Chilson describes, as though he were giving us a glimpse into a 21st-century dystopia of mad egoism and hurtling hulks of metal.—
Adam Goodheart
Adam GoodheartOver the course of the movie, the late-60's ideal of togetherness turns into a dystopia of violence, revulsion and finally death.—John Leland
John Leland2
: anti-utopia sense 2
writing a dystopia
… leaping across the century to the 1990's to attempt a dystopia about the disintegration of Australian democracy into startling, irreversible despotism.—Pearl K. Bell
Pearl K. BellExamples of dystopia in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Netflix’s big play for April, at least in terms of social media interaction and inspiring a thousand columns and think pieces about our coming dystopia, is the seventh season of its sci-fi tech horror anthology Black Mirror.
—Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2025
The dystopia continues — complete with Diddy and Veep references.
Rise and grind!
—Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 30 Mar. 2025
While other dystopias have their bonfires—cinematic conflagrations that turn censorship into spectacle—the Party, in George Orwell’s vision, relies on memory holes.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2025
Margaret Atwood has captured the imagination, creeping dread, and defiant spirits of generations across the world with her work—from the near-future dystopia of The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) and Booker Prize–winning The Testaments (2019), to the compelling tangle of women’s lives in Cat’s Eye (1988).
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 11 Feb. 2025
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Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2025
The dystopia continues — complete with Diddy and Veep references.
Rise and grind!
—Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 30 Mar. 2025
While other dystopias have their bonfires—cinematic conflagrations that turn censorship into spectacle—the Party, in George Orwell’s vision, relies on memory holes.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2025
Margaret Atwood has captured the imagination, creeping dread, and defiant spirits of generations across the world with her work—from the near-future dystopia of The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) and Booker Prize–winning The Testaments (2019), to the compelling tangle of women’s lives in Cat’s Eye (1988).
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dystopia
Cite this Entry
“Dystopia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dystopia. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
dystopia
noun
dys·to·pia
dis-ˈtō-pē-ə
: malposition of an anatomical part
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