Shangri-la

noun

ˌshaŋ-gri-ˈlä How to pronounce Shangri-la (audio)
Definition of Shangri-lanext
as in utopia
an often imaginary place or state of utter perfection and happiness a dreamer who spent much of his life roaming the world in search of his personal Shangri-la

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of Shangri-la This salon has a roster of 50 different tea blends from which to choose (and tea sommeliers to help out any newbies)—it's Shangri-la for tea snobs. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Shangri-la
  1. utopia
  2. paradise
  3. heaven
Noun
  • Turner gave me a framework for understanding how a profoundly anti-institutional ethos took hold, one that treated democratic institutions as obstacles to be bulldozed on the way to cyber-utopia.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Elon Musk and this sort of fantasy of a future techno-utopia Gaza.
    — Tonya Mosley, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of utopia
Noun
  • Memories of paradise Sentir Cubano holds that prosperous paradise so many Cubans remember.
    — Sarah Moreno August 7, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026
  • With its iconic canals, Gothic architecture, Moorish windows, and artisan legacy spanning everything from Murano glass and Burano lace to terrazzo flooring, Venice is a design lover's paradise.
    — Madeline Weinfield, Architectural Digest, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of paradise
Noun
  • Sounds like heaven to me, but your security posture mileage may vary!
    — Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Its purpose is to take deep panoramic images of the sky, over and over again, every clear night across the next 10 years, making what amounts to a decade-spanning ultrahigh-definition timelapse movie of the entire heavens.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 24 July 2026
Definition of heaven

Browse Nearby Words

shanghais
Shangri-la
Shangri-las
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Cite this Entry

“Shangri-la.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Shangri-la. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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