Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

See What's Trending Now See More Trending Words

Shangri-la

play
noun Shan·gri-la \ ˌshaŋ-gri-ˈlä \

Definition of Shangri-la

1 :a remote beautiful imaginary place where life approaches perfection :utopia
2 :a remote usually idyllic hideaway

Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd

image1398438641
When Fictional Words Become Real
image1644821030
These Are Fighting Words
alt-59c52d6ee2f72
Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'
alt-59c448f88ea38
Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

Origin and Etymology of shangri-la

Shangri-La, imaginary land depicted in the novel Lost Horizon (1933) by James Hilton

shangri-la Synonyms

Synonyms
Camelot, Cockaigne, Eden, Elysium, empyrean, fantasyland, heaven, lotusland, never-never land, New Jerusalem, nirvana, promised land, Shangri-la, utopia, Zion (also Sion)
Antonyms
anti-utopia, dystopia, hell
Related Words
arcadia; dreamland, dreamworld, fairyland, wonderland; blessedness, bliss, blissfulness, euphoria, gladness, joy
Near Antonyms
fool's paradise

Learn More about shangri-la

  1. See words that rhyme with Shangri-la Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for Shangri-la

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up Shangri-la? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

anathematize

play

to curse or denounce

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. dotage, dotard a state or period of senile decay

  2. otherwise "in other respects"

  3. federalism Graham says bill gives power to states

  4. bodega "Don’t mess with the beloved bodega."

  5. carceral Of, relating to, or suggesting a jail or prison

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-59c52d6ee2f72
Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

The word's origins are quite literal

alt-59c4207ecf106
Let's Talk 'Tea'

Spill it, sip it: just make it hot.

image1644821030
8 Words and Phrases from Boxing and Wrestling

Common terms that come from boxing and wrestling

alt-59c2960017c94
The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

When you push a meeting, where does it go?

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

payday
How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

young-plant-shoots
Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

You're going to have to memorize the dictionary again.

Take the quiz
stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy
Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

No tricks, just difficult words.

Take the quiz
Spell It
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Take the quiz
Citation
Citation

Do you know the person or title these quotes describe?

Play the game