dystopian

American  

[dis-toh-pee-uhn] / dɪsˈtoʊ pi ən /

adjective

1. resembling or relating to a dystopia.

2. causing or characterized by an extreme amount of misery.

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noun

1. a person who lives in, describes, or advocates for a dystopia.

Explanation

"Utopian" describes a society that's conceived to be perfect. Dystopian is the exact opposite — it describes an imaginary society that is as dehumanizing and as unpleasant as possible. George Orwell's "Animal Farm," for example, describes a dystopian society in which Napoleon, a pig, represents Joseph Stalin in a farmyard satire on Stalinist Russia and how power corrupts. Other famous dystopian authors include Aldous Huxley, Kurt Vonnegut, and Ray Bradbury. The adjective dystopian describes anything that pertains to or resembles a society such as those described in this sort of literature.

Example Sentences

In these dystopian times, when realism is more important than ever, it’s a grave mistake to let rose-colored glasses distort our vision, or to substitute unmerited patience for vital urgency.

From Salon • Apr. 20, 2026

An animated series based on the popular “Mafalda” comics, a dystopian miniseries based on a Philip K. Dick novel and a Fito Páez documentary are all on the way.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Broadcast with an announcement of the release of the Apple computer, it was more than a little inspired by George Orwell's dystopian novel named for the year.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

For now, the prisoners inside Evin and throughout the country are enduring a dystopian paradox—cut off from information about the war and yet seeing and hearing its effects reverberating outside the compound walls.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

“You know, sometimes it does feel like we’re in one of those trendy dystopian novels,” she admitted.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro