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

The neighborhood/area The Palmwag Concession is a 1,359,080-acre oasis in the Damaraland, right next to the Skeleton Coast National Park. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026

Even with execution dates looming, their death row confinement offers a relatively peaceful oasis. — Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Unlike at Liverpool last weekend, when the team was booed from pillar to post, the Etihad’s four walls felt like an oasis on Wednesday. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026

The country that prided itself on being an oasis of democracy in the Middle East had replaced freedom of expression with the unfettered right to incite vengeance. — Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026

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
• periphrasis
• atelectasis
• bronchiectasis

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