paradise

noun

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par·a·dise | \ ˈper-ə-ˌdīs

, -ˌdīz, ˈpa-rə- \

Definition of paradise

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

Paradise

geographical name

Par·a·dise | \ ˈper-ə-ˌdīs

, -ˌdīz, ˈpa-rə- \

Definition of Paradise (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Other Words from paradise Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about paradise

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Did You Know?

Paradise ultimately comes from an Iranian word that the Greeks modified into paradeisos, meaning "enclosed park." In Hellenistic Greek, "paradeisos" was also used in the Septuagint - an early Greek translation of Jewish scriptures - in reference to the Garden of Eden. Early Christian writers also used "paradeisos" for both Heaven and for the place where righteous souls await resurrection. These senses of "paradeisos" entered into Late Latin as paradisus, and then into Anglo-French (and later, Middle English) as "paradis." Though originally used in theological senses in English, "paradise" has also come to refer to more earthly states and places of delight as well.

Examples of paradise in a Sentence

Noun 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: Noun The first Asian American sheriff appears to be Sheriff Timothy Saxon of Trinity County, a mostly rural slice of wooded paradise with 13,000 residents. — Arlene Martinez, USA TODAY, "In California: Homelessness, a Trump fundraiser and a prison proposal shut down," 20 Feb. 2020 Oakland airport is advertising locally, with pictures of Hawaiian paradises luring beleaguered BART commuters at Powell Street and Walnut Creek stations. — Mallory Moench, SFChronicle.com, "At Oakland’s airport, optimism reigns despite loss of JetBlue and Norwegian," 17 Feb. 2020 The South Island is an Instagrammer's paradise and a great place to satisfy your nerdy dream of trekking through Middle-earth. — Condé Nast Traveler, "10 Places Where the U.S. Dollar Is Really Strong Right Now," 10 Feb. 2020 Spanning 9,951 acres of backcountry a few miles northwest of Lake Pleasant and about 25 miles north of Phoenix, Hells Canyon Wilderness area offers a quick way to escape into an untamed swath of desert that’s more paradise than purgatory. — Jill Cassidy, azcentral, "Hells Canyon Wilderness hike near Phoenix feels a million miles away. Here's how to do it," 7 Feb. 2020 Within decades, its great metropolises aspired to reproduce paradise on Earth. — The Economist, "Secret gardens The forgotten glories of Islamic civilisation," 1 Feb. 2020 Utah is a snow hound’s paradise from December into March. — National Geographic, "Here’s the best winter road trip through Utah," 23 Jan. 2020 But Hawaiian has a big chunk of its business in short hops between islands where the weather is, well, paradise. — Scott Mccartney, WSJ, "The Best and Worst U.S. Airlines of 2019," 15 Jan. 2020 Beginning this summer, cruise-goers will have the chance to sail straight from Galveston to a hidden paradise island with its own record-breaking waterpark and private beach clubs. — Rebecca Hennes, Houston Chronicle, "Royal Caribbean currently offering cruises from Galveston to its magical private island, CocoCay," 13 Jan. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'paradise.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for paradise

Noun

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 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.

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Last Updated

23 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Paradise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paradise. Accessed 26 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for paradise

paradise

noun

English Language Learners Definition of paradise

: a very beautiful, pleasant, or peaceful place that seems to be perfect

: a place that is perfect for a particular activity or for a person who enjoys that activity

: a state of complete happiness

See the full definition for paradise in the English Language Learners Dictionary

paradise

noun

par·a·dise | \ ˈper-ə-ˌdīs

, -ˌdīz \

Kids Definition of paradise

1 : a place, state, or time of great beauty or happiness “A fair is a rat's paradise. Everybody spills food at a fair.”— E. B. White, Charlotte's Web

2 : heaven sense 2

3 : the place where Adam and Eve first lived according to the Bible

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