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
The alternative is a future too abhorrent for even the most dystopian imaginations at WIRED to contemplate.
—Katie Drummond, WIRED, 4 Nov. 2024
Squid Game: Season 2 | Official Teaser | Netflix
The new installment of the dystopian Korean drama – once again directed, written and produced by Hwang Dong-hyuk – will begin three years after the end of the previous game.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN, 1 Nov. 2024
The film is set in a dystopian, technologically advanced society.
—Conor Murray, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
There's the dystopian Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt alien-slayer Edge of Tomorrow, as well as the Alan J. Pakula classic The Devil's Own, starring Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt, and The Matrix Resurrections.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dystopian 
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Katie Drummond, WIRED, 4 Nov. 2024
Squid Game: Season 2 | Official Teaser | Netflix
The new installment of the dystopian Korean drama – once again directed, written and produced by Hwang Dong-hyuk – will begin three years after the end of the previous game.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN, 1 Nov. 2024
The film is set in a dystopian, technologically advanced society.
—Conor Murray, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
There's the dystopian Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt alien-slayer Edge of Tomorrow, as well as the Alan J. Pakula classic The Devil's Own, starring Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt, and The Matrix Resurrections.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 2 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 28 Nov. 2024.
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