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
Or the constitutional dystopia in which we are now caught, beside which even the ugliest onscreen villainy pales into insignificance?
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2025
Though the part is small, Hildy and her community are pivotal to unraveling the propaganda that has shaped this future dystopia, where people’s thoughts are heard aloud and an egomaniacal would-be dictator, played with gusto by Mads Mikkelsen, uses this vulnerability to control them.
—Sezin Koehler, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Mickey 17 stars Robert Pattinson as a down-and-out space colonist living in a high-tech dystopia overseen by a dictator played by Mark Ruffalo with signature relish.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2025
But other scenes, like one set in 2076, when the last humans live as outlaws in a dystopia of semi-robot overlords, feel more like place fillers, necessary as steps in Harrison’s timeline but not compelling in themselves.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2025
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Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2025
Though the part is small, Hildy and her community are pivotal to unraveling the propaganda that has shaped this future dystopia, where people’s thoughts are heard aloud and an egomaniacal would-be dictator, played with gusto by Mads Mikkelsen, uses this vulnerability to control them.
—Sezin Koehler, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Mickey 17 stars Robert Pattinson as a down-and-out space colonist living in a high-tech dystopia overseen by a dictator played by Mark Ruffalo with signature relish.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2025
But other scenes, like one set in 2076, when the last humans live as outlaws in a dystopia of semi-robot overlords, feel more like place fillers, necessary as steps in Harrison’s timeline but not compelling in themselves.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2025
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 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
dystopia
noun
dys·to·pia
dis-ˈtō-pē-ə
: malposition of an anatomical part
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