dystopia

noun

Definition of dystopianext
as in anti-utopia

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dystopia America isn’t there yet, but ALPR technology is leading the long march to this dystopia. — Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 14 Aug. 2026 Like any good far future dystopia, SpaceCorp positions massive corporations as the true governing entities of the future, swapping in private investors for diplomats and corporate boards for politicians. — Alan Bradley, Space.com, 14 Aug. 2026 Information fatigue, misinformation fatigue, cost-of-living fatigue, fear-of-dying fatigue, outrage fatigue, relationship fatigue, dystopia fatigue. — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026 Then there are folks like Vinod Khosla and Elon Musk, who predict people won’t need money or jobs, without telling us how this utopia/dystopia will come to pass. — Diane Brady, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dystopia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dystopia
hell
Noun
  • The careerist has also made life hell for Erika and her family.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Time is running out for a Republican Party led astray by a president whose treacherous behavior mimics those assigned to the lowest level of Dante’s hell.
    — Bob Kustra, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of hell

Browse Nearby Words

dysphemism
dystopia
dystopian
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dystopia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dystopia. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All