paradise

¹ American  

[par-uh-dahys, -dahyz] / ˈpær əˌdaɪs, -ˌdaɪz /

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.

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Paradise ² American  

[par-uh-dahys, -dahyz] / ˈpær əˌdaɪs, -ˌdaɪz /

noun

1. a town in N California.

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paradise British  

/ 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

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paradise Cultural  

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

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paradise Idioms  

1. see fool's paradise.

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Etymology

Origin of paradise

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”

Example Sentences

Hoppock acknowledged that his state of Kansas is not a paradise for asylum-seekers, but he never doubted that the court in Kansas City was fair.

From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026

“It’s still paradise because of the scenery and how beautiful it is here,” she adds.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2026

"It's their own paradise… to create a safe world, an ideal world that they create for themselves, and they enjoy themselves."

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

I would imagine with some squirrelly pablum about valuing their feedback and pointing out that user experiences may vary because—as no site is likely to admit—someone’s paradise is someone else’s slum, and vice versa.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

Upon returning home, Ernest found a letter from Birge portraying Berkeley as an academic paradise on earth.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• bliss
• heaven
• utopia
• wonderland