Shangri-la
noun
an imaginary paradise on earth, especially a remote and exotic utopia.
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Shangri-la
American
[shang-gruh-lah, shang-gruh-lah]
/ ˈʃæŋ grəˌlɑ, ˌʃæŋ grəˈlɑ /
noun
-
an imaginary paradise on earth, especially a remote and exotic utopia.
-
a faraway haven or hideaway of idyllic beauty and tranquility.
Last summer we rented a cottage on a little lake—our perfect Shangri-la.
Shangri-la
British
/ ˌʃæŋɡrɪˈlɑː /
noun
Shangri-La
Cultural
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A “Shangri-La,” by extension, is an ideal refuge from the troubles of the world.
Etymology
Origin of Shangri-la
After the fictional Tibetan land of eternal youth in the novel The Lost Horizon (1933) by James Hilton
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.
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Organised by the think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies, the Shangri-la Dialogue has traditionally been anchored by the US and China, which have been jostling for power in the region.
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2025
"Ratched" was a bomb, but the psychiatric hospital where Sarah Paulson's wicked nurse worked was an interior designer's Shangri-la.
From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2023
Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin at Singapore's Shangri-la Dialogue security conference in June, where a handshake marked their closest interaction.
From Reuters ● Sep. 16, 2023
Beijing has also refused requests from the U.S. for a face-to-face meeting between the defense chiefs of both countries during the June 2-4 Shangri-la Dialogue security forum in Singapore.
From Washington Times ● May 31, 2023
He owned a horse, which he kept in a little corral at the rear of his half-acre Shangri-la.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
“I’m addicted,” she told a Wall Street Journal reporter as she steered her four-wheel-drive down the steep, winding valleys north of Shangri-La on a recent day in August.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
AHS Properties said it bought Dubai’s Shangri-La five-star hotel for $300 million, affirming its confidence in the region despite falling tourism due to the Middle East war.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
The Shangri-La Dialogue is Asia's top defence forum, bringing together security officials and experts from more than 45 countries.
From Barron's ● May 31, 2026
At the Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday, Hegseth was asked by Japan's defence minister to address concerns about US commitment.
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
Longtime visitors to the Khumbu are saddened by the boom in tourism and the change it has wrought on what early Western climbers regarded as an earthly paradise, a real-life Shangri-La.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
