Synonyms

escapist

American

[ih-skey-pist] / ɪˈskeɪ pɪst /

noun

a person who avoids reality by becoming absorbed in entertainment or fantasy.

I, for one, am an escapist, so pondering whether an anime series is "looking out into the world" isn't something I concern myself with.
a person who tries or manages to get out of captivity; an escape artist or escapee.

In 1864, the celebrated prison escapist Hamilton tunneled his way to freedom with 60 other captured Union officers.

adjective

avoiding reality through entertainment or fantasy, or enabling people to do so.

His childhood taste for cowboy adventures and escapist films like Tarzan gave way to an admiration for realist European directors.

Etymology

Origin of escapist

escap(e) ( def. ) + -ist ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

To allay concerns that books can’t compete with the allure of digital devices, he offers a simple observation: Reading is as addictive as videogames were in his youth, “mind-altering, escapist, and fun.”

From The Wall Street Journal

What it says about America: A country facing deindustrialization and stagflation turned toward escapist glamour and pop songs that fused funk, soul and R&B—and got people on the dance floor.

From The Wall Street Journal

Fuel those escapist daydreams with travel inspiration ideal for decorating dreary cubicles.

From The Wall Street Journal

Enjoy the escapist refreshment, is what she's saying.

From Salon

Keyworth, from Aberystwyth, thinks plenty of people can relate to using escapist TV to cope with tough times - as her character did with Caesar.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023