paradise

noun

par·​a·​dise ˈper-ə-ˌdīs 

-ˌdīz,

ˈpa-rə-

1

a

: eden sense 2

b

: an intermediate place or state where the souls of the righteous await resurrection and the final judgment

c

: heaven

2

: a place or state of bliss, felicity, or delight

paradisial

ˌper-ə-ˈdi-sē-əl 

-zē-

ˌpa-rə-

adjective

or less commonly paradisical

ˌper-ə-ˈdi-si-kəl 

-zi-,

ˌpa-rə-

Synonyms

• Camelot
• Cockaigne
• Eden
• Elysium
• empyrean
• fantasyland
• heaven
• lotusland
• never-never land
• New Jerusalem
• nirvana
• promised land
• Shangri-la
• utopia
• Zion
• Sion

Examples of paradise in a Sentence

Their marriage was very happy at first, but now there's trouble in paradise.

a marsh that is a birdwatcher's paradise

This shop is an antique collecting paradise!

Recent Examples on the Web

Young Naomi was denied access to the paradise where Jack got to play. —Rachel Lance, WIRED, 16 Apr. 2024

The vast state of Arizona is a traveler’s paradise. —Chadner Navarro, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Apr. 2024

It’s themed like a tropical paradise, with plenty of trees and an iconic volcano that houses multiple water slides. —Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024

Gaskin doesn’t hesitate to trade her village home for a tropical paradise and brings a production company along for the ride. —K.j. Yossman, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024

He’d been sent there at the age of 8, one of the shabby-genteel boys with brains in what was otherwise a class snob’s paradise. —Stephen Metcalf, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2024

The travel industry sells the Caribbean as a gentle paradise where the workers of the first world can escape to rest at last on the shores of an infinite resort. —Carina Del Valle Schorske, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024

From its age-old rivers to well-trodden hiking trails, West Virginia has made a name for itself as an outdoorsman's paradise, and Elkins is the perfect place to pitch your tent. —Zoe Denenberg, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2024

Explore Dry Tortugas National Park Dry Tortugas National Park is a remote paradise accessible only by boat or seaplane. —Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English paradis, paradise "the Garden of Eden, heaven," borrowed from Anglo-French paradis, borrowed from Late Latin paradīsus, borrowed from Greek parádeisos "enclosed park or pleasure ground" (Xenophon), "the Garden of Eden" (Septuagint), "the abode of the blessed, heaven" (New Testament), borrowed from an Iranian word (perhaps Median *paridaiza-) cognate with Avestan pairidaēza- "enclosure," nominal derivative of pairidaēz- "build a barrier around," from pairi- "before, around" (going back to Indo-European *per-i, whence also Sanskrit pári "around, about," Greek péri "around, in excess") + -daēza- "heap up, build" (occurring only with prefixes), going back to Indo-European *dhoi̯ǵh-éi̯e-, iterative derivative of *dhei̯ǵh- "knead, shape" — more at peri-, feign

Note: As an independent derivative of the verb, Avestan daēza- "heap, pile (of earth, stones)" has been compared with Greek teîchos (neuter s-stem) "wall, fortification," toîchos (masculine) "wall of a house or enclosure," Sanskrit dehaḥ "body," dehī́ "wall, embankment," Oscan feíhúss (accusative plural) "walls." For a Germanic derivative from the same verbal base with a different sense, see dough.

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing paradise

• bird of paradise
• fool's paradise
• grains of paradise
• in paradise

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Kids Definition

paradise

noun

par·​a·​dise ˈpar-ə-ˌdīs 

-ˌdīz

1

: eden sense 2

2

: heaven sense 2

3

: a place or state of great happiness

Etymology

Middle English paradis "the Garden of Eden," from early French paradis (same meaning), from Latin paradisus (same meaning), from Greek paradeisos "Garden of Eden," literally, "enclosed park"

Geographical Definition

Paradise

geographical name

Par·​a·​dise ˈper-ə-ˌdīs 

-ˌdīz,

ˈpa-rə-

1

town in northern California north of Sacramento population 26,218

2

unincorporated population center just south of Las Vegas in southern Nevada population 223,167