dystopia

[ dis-toh-pee-uh ]

noun

1. a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding.

dystopia

/ dɪsˈtəʊpɪə /

noun

1. an imaginary place where everything is as bad as it can be

Derived Forms

• dysˈtopian, adjectivenoun

Other Words From

• dys·topi·an adjective
• dys·topi·an·ism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of dystopia¹

First recorded in 1865–70; dys- + (U)topia

Word History and Origins

Origin of dystopia¹

C19 (coined by John Stuart Mill ): from dys- + Utopia

Example Sentences

They were a reminder that on this Election Day and night, and more generally, one group’s dystopia is another group’s utopia.

From Salon

By the time I started working as a reporter at the Los Angeles Times three decades ago, the California dystopia genre was already well established.

From Los Angeles Times

But in our current glut of movie dystopias, we’ve gotten away from that kind of immersive showmanship.

From Los Angeles Times

The “better future” we are being sold by OpenAI and others is, in fact, a dystopia.

From Los Angeles Times

The more you think about it, the more Miller’s desert dystopia begins looking like a fantastical ER.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• antiutopia
• cacotopia