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
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.
First recorded in 1605–15; from Late Latin, from Greek óasis, from Egyptian wḥʾt “oasis region”
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.
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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.
For the rest of the war, the camp stands as an oasis of international harmony that Ernst will strive to re-create for the rest of his adventure-filled life.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 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
Crews are now assessing the damage to this ecological and cultural oasis.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2026
And while the home does have neighboring properties on either side, high hedges and lush trees help to make it feel complete private, creating a kind of oasis that feels truly remote and secluded.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026
Samir was dizzy with thirst at every oasis.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
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.
