oasis
noun
a small fertile or green area in a desert region, usually having a spring or well.
oasis
American
[oh-ay-sis]
/ oʊˈeɪ sɪs /
noun
-
oases
plural
oasis
1
British
/ əʊˈeɪsɪs /
noun
-
a fertile patch in a desert occurring where the water table approaches or reaches the ground surface
-
a place of peace, safety, or happiness in the midst of trouble or difficulty
Oasis
2
British
/ əʊˈeɪsɪs /
noun
oasis
Scientific
/ ō-ā′sĭs /
-
oases
plural
Usage
Plural word for oasis The plural form of oasis is oases, pronounced [ oh-ey-seez ]. The plurals of several other singular words that end in -is are also formed in this way, including hypothesis/hypotheses, crisis/crises, and axis/axes. A similar change is made when pluralizing appendix as appendices. Irregular plurals that are formed like oases derive directly from their original pluralization in Latin and Greek.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of oasis
First recorded in 1605–15; from Late Latin, from Greek óasis, from Egyptian wḥʾt “oasis region”
Explanation
As you walk through the desert of life, may you always find your oasis — a place where you can find safety and sustenance. Although the literal meaning of oasis is "a green spot in the desert," it can also be used to describe a peaceful area in our everyday lives. Perhaps your home is your oasis, where you can escape life's rigors. An oasis refers to a location, but it can also be an imagined place — as in an acting exercise where an actor builds an imaginary oasis in his or her mind. The actor can then remember the image to relax on stage.
Vocabulary lists containing oasis
Figurative Language in King's "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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Physical Geography - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Midlife’s dating desert made ‘‘nice enough” feel like an oasis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
The backyard is a true oasis, with a lagoon-style pool and perfectly manicured landscaping.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
It’s about 10 miles off our route but is an air-conditioned oasis of burgers, pie a la mode and endless ice water.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Near an oasis in the Gobi Desert, the stupendous mural-covered grottoes capture centuries of Buddhist art.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
He could think of only the oasis, but it was a long way without a Safe Horse to carry them.
From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer
Data-security company Cyera agreed in July to buy identity-security startup Oasis Security for $1 billion, while quantum-computing company IonQ struck a deal this month to acquire cybersecurity company Elisity for up to $1.3 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Decart is also developing world models called Lucy and Oasis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
Farmers' fury as race for £233m funding compared to 'scramble for Oasis tickets'
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
A number of other sellers also had memorabilia up for sale at the auction, including a rare original concert ticket for The Rain, the Manchester band which later became Oasis.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Oasis Circle is a clearing, a nearly perfect circle of green ground cover and trees rising at least sixty feet, protecting it.
From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
These crater lakes may have functioned as localized "oxygen oases" before oxygen became widespread across the planet.
From Science Daily ● May 22, 2026
But the war is hitting their core business proposition—being oases of stability within a volatile region—and delivering a blow to efforts to diversify their economies beyond energy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026
While there are some fully off-grid dwellers, ranging from high-end desert oases and North Coast communes to the famous counterculture settlement of Imperial County’s “Slab City,” an off-grid suburb is one of a kind.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 24, 2025
Such bubbles of longing buoy most love stories, although they're employed as sparing oases between expositional expanses.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2024
Crawling to different sections of the attic nook, searching for imaginary oases of cool, became her principal activity after her vigil over the park.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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