Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DYSTOPIAN
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pronounce
DYSTOPIAN:
Say it "diss TOE pee yun."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
Our word dystopian is a fantastically specific alternative to words like dismal, horrid, tragic, and del___rious.
Can you recall that last one? It means "harmful or destructive to the health, the mind, or the morals."
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
When Thomas More wrote his 1516 political satire Utopia, he invented the title from Greek words meaning "nowhere, or no place." (Ou is Greek for "not," and topos, "place.")
The book is about an island nation, Utopia, where everything is perfect: no war, no crime, no poverty, everyone's happy, and everyone shares everything. Of course, there's no place like that. And a no-place, literally, is a utopia.
So, as far back as 1549, we've used the word "utopia" to mean "some perfect, imaginary place."
Much newer--only as far back as 1952--is the opposite word, "dystopia," coined by the authors Glenn Negley and J. Max Patrick in their book The Quest for Utopia. They define a dystopia as "the opposite of... an ideal society."
And that's what it means: a society where things are absolutely terrible, and the people are very unhappy.
So, something dystopian (like a dystopian novel, or a dystopian future) is related to a society or a world in which everything is awful and people are miserable.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Adjective: "a dystopian future," "these dystopian novels."
Other forms:
The nouns are "dystopia(s)" and "dystopianism."
If you prefer, instead of "dystopian," you can use "dystopic." But that's rare.
how to use it:
Pick the formal, semi-common word "dystopian" when you want to be especially precise.
Talk about dystopian stories, novels, movies, and video games. Or, talk about a dystopian future, dystopian bleakness or tension, dystopian nightmares, etc.
examples:
"[In the video game Brink:] A dystopian future in which the Earth is entirely flooded and mankind's bedraggled remnants live on an overcrowded ark, teetering on the edge of civil war."
— Nick Gillett, The Guardian, 31 December 2010
"Digital rights management (DRM) certainly exists; indeed it is all around us. You can see that every time you try to play a DVD bought in another part of the world, open an Adobe eBook, or copy a song you have downloaded from iTunes. But so far, the world of legally backed digital rights management has not brought about the worst of the dystopian consequences that some people, including me, feared might result."
— James Boyle, The Public Domain, 2008
has this page helped you understand "dystopian"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "dystopian" without saying "socially apocalyptic" or "like a devastated society."
try it out:
A writer for the Guardian said:
"Cinematic visions of the future have always favored the dystopian over the utopian, preferring to nail-chew over our shared anxieties rather than build upon hopeful fantasy."
Is that true: is that what futuristic movies are designed to do? Has a dystopian movie ever helped you share and process your anxieties about how bad the future will be? If so, how?
In case you'd like to skim it, here's IMDB's list of the 101 best dystopian movies.
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is Apt Adjective Anagrams!
I'll invent a person's name and a brief description, and you unscramble the letters in their name to form an adjective that aptly describes the person or the person's situation.
For example: Carl Rebe has three advanced degrees. You rearrange the letters in "Carl Rebe" to form the adjective "cerebral," meaning "brainy, smart, or intellectual.” Sentimental movies always bring Martin Devesto to tears? He’s demonstrative. Lilian Tulip is dainty in the extreme? She’s lilliputian. Tia Fauns runs a sweatshop and is filthy rich? Perhaps she made a bargain with the devil, because her lifestyle is Faustian.
To see the answer, scroll all the way down.
Try this one today: Carol Ni doesn't need a microphone: with her booming voice, she can call a gymnasium full of kids to order.
review this word:
A. XANADU-LIKE (filled with peace, joy, and social harmony).
B. PICARESQUE (filled with roguish heroics or grand adventure).
C. POEISH (dark, spooky, morbid, or gothic; or, filled with showy vocabulary words).
2.
In the words of a reviewer for YesPoetry.com, a dystopian view of the future might include "_____."
A. theatrical absurdity
B. a niche for everyone, and everyone in their niche
C. employees as replaceable as the office furniture they occupy
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
On vocabulary...
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.
From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Our word dystopian is a fantastically specific alternative to words like dismal, horrid, tragic, and del___rious.
When Thomas More wrote his 1516 political satire Utopia, he invented the title from Greek words meaning "nowhere, or no place." (Ou is Greek for "not," and topos, "place.")
Part of speech:
Pick the formal, semi-common word "dystopian" when you want to be especially precise.
"[In the video game Brink:] A dystopian future in which the Earth is entirely flooded and mankind's bedraggled remnants live on an overcrowded ark, teetering on the edge of civil war."
Explain the meaning of "dystopian" without saying "socially apocalyptic" or "like a devastated society."
A writer for the Guardian said:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |