Meanings
nounescapism (countable and uncountable, plural escapisms)
plural escapisms
- countableuncountableAn inclination to escape from routine or reality into fantasy.
“If you look at literature on why people watch reality TV, that’s one of the main reasons: escapism,” said Danielle J. Lindemann, the author of “True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us.”
2025 July 7, Sadiba Hasan, quoting Danielle J. Lindemann, “Why Is Everyone Watching ‘Love Island USA’?”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC - countableuncountableThe performance of an escape artist.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounan inclination to retreat from unpleasant realities through diversion or fantasy
Similar
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Arabic هُرُوب مِن الوَاقِعِ, تَهْرُبِيَّة
- هُرُوب مِن الوَاقِعِ (hurūb min al-wāqiʕi)inclination to escape
- تَهْرُبِيَّة (tahrubiyya)inclination to escape
Bulgarian ескапизъм
- ескапизъм (eskapizăm)inclination to escape
Catalan escapisme
- escapismeinclination to escape
Danish eskapisme
- eskapismeinclination to escape
Finnish todellisuuspakoisuus, eskapismi
- todellisuuspakoisuusinclination to escape
- eskapismiinclination to escape
- eskapismigenre
French escapisme
- escapismeinclination to escape
German Eskapismus, Wirklichkeitsflucht
- Eskapismusinclination to escape
- Wirklichkeitsfluchtinclination to escape
- Realitätsfluchtinclination to escape
- Entfliehung aus dem Alltaginclination to escape
- Flucht aus der Wirklichkeitinclination to escape
Hungarian eszképizmus, menekülés a nyomasztó valóság elől
- eszképizmusinclination to escape
- menekülés a nyomasztó valóság előlinclination to escape
Japanese 現実逃避
- 現実逃避 (genjitsu tōhi)inclination to escape
Polish eskapizm
- eskapizminclination to escape
Portuguese escapismo
- escapismoinclination to escape
Punjabi ਭਾਂਜਵਾਦ
- ਭਾਂਜਵਾਦ (bhāñjvād)inclination to escape
Russian эскапизм
- эскапизм (eskapizm)inclination to escape
Spanish escapismo
- escapismoinclination to escape
Swedish eskapism
- eskapisminclination to escape
Turkish gerçeklerden kaçma
- gerçeklerden kaçmainclination to escape
Ukrainian ескапізм
- ескапізм (eskapizm)inclination to escape
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
escapism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/escapism
MLA
“escapism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/escapism. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “escapism,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/escapism.
Source: escapism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.