Their marriage was very happy at first, but now there's trouble in paradise. a marsh that is a birdwatcher's paradise This shop is an antique collecting paradise!
Recent Examples on the WebHere on the Riviera, like so many others, Picasso found a pagan paradise, where civilized people could let their hair down and indulge in simple pleasures. Rick Steves, Sun Sentinel, 2 Sep. 2022 The home at 402 Timberwilde Lane is a transitional paradise, perfect for those who love classic lines and quality architecture. Brianna Griff, Chron, 28 Aug. 2022 This week, the Sussexes have left their California paradise to migrate to the East Coast. Rosa Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 18 July 2022 Then came Japan’s brutal invasion and occupation of China, the deprivations of World War II, and the chaos of civil war and revolution—and, with those upheavals, the family’s exile from their garden paradise and their descent into poverty. Diane Cole, WSJ, 17 June 2022 Build your iron paradise around a rickety piece of metal from the 90s and your gains will be puny and minimal. John Thompson, Men's Health, 2 June 2022 Tom showed up in the early afternoon sporting a big smile to expertly fly us out of our private paradise. Lauren Breedlove, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2022 Vacations are often depicted as escapes in which one leaves the stresses of home and travels to a blissful paradise, unburdened by worry. Kate Cray, The Atlantic, 29 July 2022 Ischia is an authentic Italian paradise filled with luxurious thermal hot springs and winding cobblestone streets brightened by bougainvillea, all attracting a growing number of the jet set arriving by private yacht. Jim Dobson, Forbes, 15 July 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English paradis, paradise "the Garden of Eden, heaven," borrowed from Anglo-French paradis, borrowed from Late Latin paradīsus, borrowed from Greek parádeisos "enclosed park or pleasure ground" (Xenophon), "the Garden of Eden" (Septuagint), "the abode of the blessed, heaven" (New Testament), borrowed from an Iranian word (perhaps Median *paridaiza-) cognate with Avestan pairidaēza- "enclosure," nominal derivative of pairidaēz- "build a barrier around," from pairi- "before, around" (going back to Indo-European *per-i, whence also Sanskrit pári "around, about," Greek péri "around, in excess") + -daēza- "heap up, build" (occurring only with prefixes), going back to Indo-European *dhoi̯ǵh-éi̯e-, iterative derivative of *dhei̯ǵh- "knead, shape" — more at peri-, feign
Note: As an independent derivative of the verb, Avestan daēza- "heap, pile (of earth, stones)" has been compared with Greek teîchos (neuter s-stem) "wall, fortification," toîchos (masculine) "wall of a house or enclosure," Sanskrit dehaḥ "body," dehī́ "wall, embankment," Oscan feíhúss (accusative plural) "walls." For a Germanic derivative from the same verbal base with a different sense, see dough.
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of paradise was before the 12th century