Dostoevsky

American  

[dos-tuh-yef-skee, duhs-, duh-stuh-yef-skyee] / ˌdɒs təˈyɛf ski, ˌdʌs-, dʌ stʌˈyɛf skyi /

Or Dostoyevsky,

noun

1. Fyodor Mikhailovich 1821–81, Russian novelist.

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Dostoevsky British  

/ dəstaˈjɛfskij, ˌdɒstɔɪˈɛfskɪ /

noun

1. Fyodor Mikhailovich (ˈfjɔdər miˈxajləvitʃ). 1821–81, Russian novelist, the psychological perception of whose works has greatly influenced the subsequent development of the novel. His best-known works are Crime and Punishment (1866), The Idiot (1868), The Possessed (1871), and The Brothers Karamazov (1879–80)

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Compare meaning

How does dostoevsky compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Tolstoy vs. Dostoevsky

Example Sentences

One of the most popular is called “Pursuing the Good Life”; this semester, readings included the Bible, Plato, Rousseau, Nietzsche and Dostoevsky, along with poetry by Sylvia Plath and music by Beethoven.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

He explained how Ms Kheris got the judge to ask Fourniret about his passion for Dostoevsky, convincing him to start to open up.

From BBC • Dec. 19, 2023

Like Dostoevsky, Auster routinely serves up lucky occurrences and chance encounters.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2023

“The Russians, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, are constantly sold out. And Japanese literature has really had a huge resurgence.”

From Seattle Times • May 25, 2023

He said that everything there was to know about life was in The Brothers Karamazov, by Feodor Dostoevsky.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut