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

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Other Words from paradise

Noun

paradisial \ ˌper-ə-ˈdi-sē-əl

, -zē- , ˌpa-rə- \ or less commonly paradisical \ ˌper-ə-ˈdi-si-kəl

, -zi- , ˌpa-rə- \ adjective

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 urban inn is located just a few miles from downtown in the Heights, a neighborhood that's a shopper's paradise. — Meena Thiruvengadam, Travel + Leisure, "Houston Travel Guide," 2 Mar. 2021 While the people outside her fortress suffer in deprivation, the Magistrate lives in a virtual paradise in comparison. — Lauren Morgan, EW.com, "The Mandalorian recap: Mando meets a Jedi legend — and learns Baby Yoda's name," 27 Nov. 2020 Amsterdam is like a paradise for bicycle lovers, but the rise in cycling’s popularity isn’t always perfect. — Andrea Romano, Travel + Leisure, "Amsterdam Will Use Flowers to Stop Cyclists From Chaining Bikes on Bridges," 27 Oct. 2020 Seeing a crappy house become a shiplap paradise is so soothing. — Abigail Rosenthal, Chron, "'The Office' is leaving Netflix. Here are 9 other shows to watch in the background," 31 Dec. 2020 This ‘90s print will instantly transport you to a floral paradise of your dreams. — Kiana Murden, CNN Underscored, "35 products that will add a little bit of joy to your life," 8 Sep. 2020 For some folks, an extended stay on an island paradise might not seem such a bad thing. — David Tarrant, Dallas News, "After 7 months stranded in Caribbean, elderly Dallas-area couple have fingers crossed for return flight home," 6 Oct. 2020 Explore and create a paradise on your own deserted island. — Elizabeth Montgomery, The Arizona Republic, "Gifts for gamers: Here's our guide to Black Friday offerings from PS5, XBox and Nintendo," 16 Nov. 2020 Escape the perils of everyday life by losing yourself in a new world on your own island paradise. — Brittany Vincent, CNN Underscored, "These are our favorite games for the Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite," 13 Nov. 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 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

5 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Paradise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paradise. Accessed 8 Mar. 2021.

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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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