Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

satori

American  
[suh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] / səˈtɔr i, -ˈtoʊr i /

noun

Zen.
  1. sudden enlightenment.


satori British  
/ səˈtɔːrɪ /

noun

  1. Zen Buddhism the state of sudden indescribable intuitive enlightenment

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of satori

First recorded in 1720–30; from Japanese: specific sense of noun satori “comprehension, understanding,” derivative of the verb satori “to awaken”

Vocabulary lists containing satori

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:

So when Alex stares into the camera and admits that she's looking inward and asking who she wants to be, it's hard to care about her illness-guided journey to satori.

From Salon Nov. 20, 2021

How would judges differentiate between mostly invisible forms of quietly crouching satori?

From The New Yorker Dec. 10, 2018

You’ve entered a zone of food satori, mystically zonked by the punch of a culture that has been perfecting its culinary subtleties for thousands of years.

From New York Times Jan. 20, 2016

Some meditation teachers claim or strongly imply that they have achieved a state of profound, permanent bliss called enlightenment—also known as satori, samadhi, nirvana, liberation, awakening, cosmic consciousness.

From Scientific American Jul. 8, 2015

In fact, Krause put together rosters that three-peated twice, even though the Zen master acted as if the talent appeared shortly after he achieved satori.

From Chicago Tribune Mar. 19, 2014

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training