paradise

¹

[par-uh-dahys, -dahyz]

noun

1. heaven, as the final abode of the righteous.

2. an intermediate place for the departed souls of the righteous awaiting resurrection.

3. (often initial capital letter),  Eden.

4. a place of extreme beauty, delight, or happiness.

5. a state of supreme happiness; bliss.

6. Architecture.

   1. parvis.

   2. an enclosure beside a church, as an atrium or cloister.

7. Italian Paradiso. (initial capital letter, italics),  the third and concluding part of Dante's Divine Comedy, depicting heaven, through which he is guided by Beatrice.

Paradise

²

[par-uh-dahys, -dahyz]

noun

1. a town in N California.

paradise

/ ˈpærəˌdaɪs /

noun

1. heaven as the ultimate abode or state of the righteous

2. Islam the sensual garden of delights that the Koran promises the faithful after death

3. Also called: limbo. (according to some theologians) the intermediate abode or state of the just prior to the Resurrection of Jesus, as in Luke 23:43

4. the place or state of happiness enjoyed by Adam before the first sin; the Garden of Eden

5. any place or condition that fulfils all one's desires or aspirations

6. a park in which foreign animals are kept

paradise

1. A place or state of pure happiness. Christians (see also Christian) have identified paradise both with the Garden of Eden and with heaven.

Word History and Origins

Origin of paradise¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English paradīs, from Late Latin paradīsus, from Greek parádeisos “park, pleasure-grounds,” from Old Iranian; compare Avestan pairi-daēza “enclosure”; akin to Greek perí peri- ( def. ), teîkhos “mound, wall”

Word History and Origins

Origin of paradise¹

Old English, from Church Latin paradīsus, from Greek paradeisos garden, of Persian origin; compare Avestan pairidaēza enclosed area, from pairi- around + daēza wall

Idioms and Phrases

see fool's paradise.

Example Sentences

“We call it ‘being priced out of paradise.’”

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In it, he explains how he was lured by the promise of glory and that he came to believe a direct route to paradise was to sacrifice his life fighting for "a pure Islamic society".

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But I’m not sure a paradise of political civility ever existed in this country.

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"Some people think we are living in a paradise," she said.

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Each of the festival’s three stages was curated to reflect Kristal’s evolving vision for his infamous patch of punk rock paradise.

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Related Words

• bliss 
• heaven 
• utopia 
• wonderland