heaven
the abode of God, the angels, and the spirits of the righteous after death; the place or state of existence of the blessed after the mortal life.
(initial capital letter)Often Heavens . the celestial powers; God.
a metonym for God: May heaven help us!
heavens, (used with a singular verb) a wooden roof or canopy over the outer stage of an Elizabethan theater.
Usually heavens. the sky, firmament, or expanse of space surrounding the earth.
a place or state of supreme happiness: She made his life a heaven on earth.
heavens, (used to express emphasis, surprise, etc.): For heaven's sake!Good heavens!
Idioms about heaven
move heaven and earth, to do one's utmost to effect an end; make a supreme effort: She promised to move heaven and earth to be there for our wedding anniversary.
Origin of heaven
1Other words from heaven
- heav·en·less, adjective
- un·der·heav·en, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use heaven in a sentence
They will do it,” Revels declared, “as certainly as the sun shines in the heavens.
The Black Man Who Replaced Jefferson Davis in the Senate | Philip Dray | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTReagan later told a reporter that his pilot followed the mysterious light before it suddenly “shot up into the heavens.”
Richard Branson and Elon Musk have taken very different paths in their race to the heavens.
Tycoons in Space: One in Orbit and One Still Grounded | Clive Irving | October 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut miraculously they must float in the heavens so far away from us, their beautiful light will continue to shine on us forever.
Billy Crystal's Tribute to Robin Williams at the Emmys Was Perfect | Kevin Fallon | August 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTDespite the rapid growth, Bhutan is still trying to keep its traditions alive and preserve the heavens for generations to come.
The world may end, the heavens fall, yet loving voices would still find an echo in the ruins of the universe.
Pearls of Thought | Maturin M. BallouUnder all man's dreams of eternal gods and eternal heavens lies man's passion for the eternal feminine.
God and my Neighbour | Robert BlatchfordYou may look again and again, and see millions of suns and systems spread out across the heavens like rivers of living gems.
God and my Neighbour | Robert BlatchfordThe shell question is serious although, in this respect, thank Heavens, the French are quite well found.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian HamiltonThe long dry fingers of the palm trees rattled overhead, and looking up, he saw the divine light of the starry heavens.
The Wave | Algernon Blackwood
British Dictionary definitions for heaven
/ (ˈhɛvən) /
(sometimes capital) Christianity
the abode of God and the angels
a place or state of communion with God after death: Compare hell
(usually plural) the sky, firmament or space surrounding the earth
(in any of various mythologies) a place, such as Elysium or Valhalla, to which those who have died in the gods' favour are brought to dwell in happiness
a place or state of joy and happiness
(singular or plural; sometimes capital) God or the gods, used in exclamatory phrases of surprise, exasperation, etc: for heaven's sake; heavens above
in seventh heaven ecstatically happy
move heaven and earth to do everything possible (to achieve something)
Origin of heaven
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for heaven
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with heaven
In addition to the idioms beginning with heaven
- heaven knows
- heavenly days
also see:
- for one's (heaven's) sake
- god (heaven) forbid
- god (heaven) knows
- in seventh heaven
- in the name of (heaven)
- manna from heaven
- move heaven and earth
- pennies from heaven
- seventh heaven
- stink to high heaven
- thank god (heaven)
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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