escapism

[ ih-skey-piz-uhm ]

/ ɪˈskeɪ pɪz əm /

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See synonyms for: escapism / escapist on Thesaurus.com

noun

the avoidance of reality by absorption of the mind in entertainment or in an imaginative situation, activity, etc.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of escapism

First recorded in 1930–35; escape + -ism

OTHER WORDS FROM escapism

es·cap·ist, adjective, noun

Words nearby escapism

escape routine, escape shaft, escape velocity, escapeway, escape wheel, escapism, escapist, escapologist, escapology, escargot, escarole

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use escapism in a sentence

We're no strangers to video games as escapism during the pandemic, especially the games that bring friends together online with simple-yet-deep gameplay.
Nerts! is the free, pleasant six-player card game we could all use right now|Sam Machkovech|January 7, 2021|Ars Technica
Bridgerton initially drew mostly rave reviews from critics who praised the show’s “feminist undertones,” marathon-ability, and “frothy, silly escapism.”
The debate over Bridgerton and race|Aja Romano|January 7, 2021|Vox
Everybody needs some escapism right now, and that’s the business we’re in.
Savor the spirits of the season at these outdoor holiday-themed bars|Fritz Hahn|December 11, 2020|Washington Post
The designs range from classic problem solving and collaborative tasks — like space-survival mission Project Artemis — to pure fun escapism.
3D escape rooms, 1980’s-themed murder mysteries: Companies invest in virtual retreats|Lucinda Southern|October 12, 2020|Digiday

Outside editors leaned into escapism this month, spending our weekends consuming culture that transported us from faraway planets to the beaches of Oahu.
Everything Our Editors Loved in September|The Editors|October 8, 2020|Outside Online
If nothing else, that clarity makes sports a healthy form of escapism.
Homicide or Accident in Tony Stewart’s NASCAR Scandal?|Robert Silverman|August 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Not only is it the finest form of escapism yet invented by humans—even including laser tag, opiates and Temptation Island!
All the Ways Contestants on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Have to Be Crazy Perfect|Kelly Williams Brown|April 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His one previous musical, the 1996 film Everyone Says I Love You, is an ode to the pleasures of old-Hollywood escapism.
Woody Allen’s ‘Bullets Over Broadway’ Musical and the Moral Responsibility of an Artist|Brian Spitulnik|April 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Maybe, somewhere in our current favorite object of escapism, there is an obscure hunger to confront these hard facts.
Daenerys Goes to Washington: The Modern Politics of ‘Game of Thrones’|Jedediah Purdy|April 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You can enjoy the Taken franchise as trashy escapism or you can see it as sexually conservative propaganda.
‘Taken 2’s’ Crazy Sexual Politics!|Tracy Quan|October 11, 2012|DAILY BEAST
If "escapism" be a need of man, cramped in his narrow personality, can any escape compare with the majesty of omnipresence?
Autobiography of a YOGI|Paramhansa Yogananda
They are escapism embodied, a dreamland, a scape of fantasy, the vale of telenovellas.
After the Rain|Sam Vaknin
"They're still a far cry from reality, or even the usual escapism," said the banker.
Reel Life Films|Samuel Kimball Merwin

British Dictionary definitions for escapism

escapism

/ (ɪˈskeɪpɪzəm) /

noun

an inclination to or habit of retreating from unpleasant or unacceptable reality, as through diversion or fantasy

Derived forms of escapism

escapist, noun, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

escapism

Origin of escapism

OTHER WORDS FROM escapism

Words nearby escapism

Words related to escapism

How to use escapism in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for escapism

Derived forms of escapism