dickensian means of, pertaining to, or created by the English author Charles Dickens. It carries an Arena rating of 1565, earned across 49 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, dickensian ranks #1,415 of 17,128 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #1,971 of 17,106 for Most Storied Words, #3,661 of 17,135 for Most Malleable Words, #6,801 of 17,163 for Funniest Words.
dickensian is pronounced /dɪˈkɛn.zɪ.ən/.
Why “dickensian” is a great word
DICKENSIAN — [Adjective] Of, relating to, or reminiscent of the works, style, or social conditions portrayed by the 19th-century English novelist Charles Dickens. From the surname Dickens (of Charles Dickens) + the suffix -ian (meaning 'belonging to, relating to, or like'). Unlike "Victorian," which neutrally denotes the period's broad culture, or "Kafkaesque," which conjures a surreal, impersonal bureaucratic labyrinth, Dickensian evokes a world of vividly rendered social realism, steeped in sentiment and populated by the grotesque. It is the palpable chill of a workhouse ward, the greasy glow of a tallow candle struggling against London fog, and the improbable, heart-swelling coincidence that reunites a lost heir with his fortune—a testament to the belief that even the most crushing systems are navigated by human eccentricity and chance.
Etymology
From Dickens (the surname of Charles Dickens (1812–1870)) + -ian (suffix forming adjectives or nouns meaning ‘belonging to, relating to, or like’).
adj
- Of, pertaining to, or created by the English author Charles Dickens.
- Similar to Dickens' writing style, especially in commenting on society, or in using emotion, humour, or rich descriptions.e.g.“a Dickensian name”
- Reminiscent of the environments and situations most commonly portrayed in Dickens' writings, such as poverty, social injustice, and other aspects of Victorian England.
noun
- A person who admires or studies the works of Charles Dickens.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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