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

These evergreen or deciduous shrubs protect your garden oasis from prying eyes and create a sense of solitude. — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 24 June 2026

With summer officially here, there’s no need to keep dreaming about your outdoor oasis when options like this are available right now. — Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 23 June 2026

From every direction, the park system serves as the quintessential urban oasis, the fiber that connects residents to their neighborhoods and communities to their city. — Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026

Dance Tucked into the bucolic Berkshires, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival is a dance oasis. — Brian Seibert, New Yorker, 19 June 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