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
They were strung out, seeking help, and fell into a confounding dystopia.
—Teri Sforza, Orange County Register, 27 Jan. 2025
Cyberpunk authors dreamed such visions as dystopias, but team Trump sees them as blueprints.
—Scott Rosenberg, Axios, 22 Jan. 2025
This year, the dystopia those scammers have ushered in has begun to spread worldwide, with operations cropping up in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and West Africa.
—Wired Staff, WIRED, 30 Dec. 2024
There’s no overstating the impact Blade Runner had on future visions of science-fiction dystopias, if not more generally the neo-noir sheen that has become the default look of so many genre films about glittering cityscapes of rain and shadow.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2024
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Teri Sforza, Orange County Register, 27 Jan. 2025
Cyberpunk authors dreamed such visions as dystopias, but team Trump sees them as blueprints.
—Scott Rosenberg, Axios, 22 Jan. 2025
This year, the dystopia those scammers have ushered in has begun to spread worldwide, with operations cropping up in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and West Africa.
—Wired Staff, WIRED, 30 Dec. 2024
There’s no overstating the impact Blade Runner had on future visions of science-fiction dystopias, if not more generally the neo-noir sheen that has become the default look of so many genre films about glittering cityscapes of rain and shadow.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dystopia
Articles Related to dystopia
Cite this Entry
“Dystopia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dystopia. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
dystopia
noun
dys·to·pia
dis-ˈtō-pē-ə
: malposition of an anatomical part
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