oasis

noun

oa·​sis ō-ˈā-səs 

plural oases ō-ˈā-ˌsēz 

1

: a fertile or green area in an arid region (such as a desert)

The caravan stopped to rest at an oasis.

2

: something that provides refuge, relief, or pleasant contrast

The small park is a welcome oasis amid the city's many factories.

Examples of oasis in a Sentence

The small park is a welcome oasis amid the city's many factories.

Our brief trip to the beach was a much-needed oasis in a summer of hard work.

Recent Examples on the Web

Europe is packed with these urban oases, and along with a taste for lattes and tapas, Americans are increasingly hungry for Italian piazzas, Spanish plazas, French places, and similar squares around the globe. —Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025

Just off the bustling street known as Spaccanapoli, which runs through the historic center, this peaceful cloister feels like a tranquil oasis removed from the chaos. —Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 19 Dec. 2025

Walk Around a Beautiful Garden This tropical oasis on Florida Tech’s campus is free and open to the public. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 15 Dec. 2025

The book’s occasional oases of self-examination are surrounded by dusty expanses of omission and unconcern. —Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin Oasis, referring to the Great Oasis of Kharge in the Libyan Desert of Egypt, borrowed from Greek Óasis (Herodotus), borrowed from Egyptian wḥꜢ.t "fertile area in the desert"

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for oasis

• basis
• glacis
• mesas
• stasis
• anabasis
• cholestasis
• haemostasis
• hemostasis
• hypostasis
• atelectasis
• bronchiectasis
• homeostasis

Kids Definition

oasis

noun

oa·​sis ō-ˈā-səs 

plural oases -ˈā-ˌsēz 

1

: a fertile or green spot in a desert

2

: something or some place that provides refreshing relief