oasis
noun
a small fertile or green area in a desert region, usually having a spring or well.
oasis
American
[oh-ey-sis]
/ oʊˈeɪ sɪs /
noun
-
oases
plural
Oasis
1
British
/ əʊˈeɪsɪs /
noun
oasis
2
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
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:
But what a relaxing oasis above the crowds with several seating areas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
"An oasis of calm in all the chaos around him - and it has paid off again."
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
Now the dream has turned into a nightmare for many in the cosmopolitan oasis who have given their lives and fortunes to foster "human unity in diversity" and "the transformation of consciousness".
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
A month away from its closure, onetime gambling oasis Primm, Nev., located along the state border with Southern California, has a new lease on life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
On their way back from the moon, Jim Lovell said he thought the earth looked like a “grand oasis in the great vastness of space. ”
From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins
The promoter of the Oasis 2025 reunion tour has secured a licence to host events at Knebworth, just days before the 30th anniversary of the band's concerts there.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Oasis frontmen Liam and Noel Gallagher are not exactly known for agreeing on much, but they both took to social media platform X on Sunday evening to celebrate Mayo's win.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Manchester has become a kind of cultural capital of cool in recent decades, home to global musical acts like Oasis and the Stone Roses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Oasis ruled the summer of 2025, reuniting for a tour that grossed north of $400 million.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
It's been holding a straight course with the Oasis for hours.
From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper
The fighting has hurt their oil sales and is threatening hard-won reputations as oases of calm that are safe for foreign investment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 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
Umbrellas to shield against blazing sunlight are popular, air-conditioned malls are serving as urban oases, and schools in Cambodia have been cutting back their hours.
From Seattle Times ● May 3, 2024
The motels are always far from anything, set against a dark wall of forest, their lights glimmering in the uniform obscuring night like those of ships, or oases.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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.
