heaven, as the final abode of the righteous.
an intermediate place for the departed souls of the righteous awaiting resurrection.
(often initial capital letter) Eden.
a place of extreme beauty, delight, or happiness.
a state of supreme happiness; bliss.
Architecture.
an enclosure beside a church, as an atrium or cloister.
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.
heaven as the ultimate abode or state of the righteous
Islam the sensual garden of delights that the Koran promises the faithful after death
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
the place or state of happiness enjoyed by Adam before the first sin; the Garden of Eden
any place or condition that fulfils all one's desires or aspirations
a park in which foreign animals are kept
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”
In some religions, paradise is considered the ultimate destination, but in general, it's any place that is ideal and free from worry. Eden, Shangri-la, or even the corner nail salon — each might represent paradise to someone. Paradise comes from the Greek paradeisos meaning "park, paradise, Garden of Eden." The Garden of Eden was a paradise free from all worries until Eve ate the apple that broke the dream. Often when you see advertisements for tourism in the Caribbean, a sense of paradise is evoked by the beautiful images and carefree descriptions.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Even the thief crucified alongside him, in the final minutes of his life, with nothing to offer and everything to repent, received the same promise: today you will be with me in paradise.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
"It's as if you were in paradise, or as if you've become a small part of it," she said.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
As the demand for a portion of paradise only continues to grow, Caribbean land defenders remain concerned that, rather than bringing opportunity, tourism could irrevocably change the place they call home.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
But their apparent domestic paradise was thrown into disarray when Betty began to suspect her husband was having an affair with his younger office assistant, Linda Kolkena.
From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026
Norfolk Prison Colony is like a paradise compared to Charlestown.
From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
