What does "shangri-la" mean?
A place of complete bliss, delight, and peace, especially one seen as an escape from ordinary life; a paradise.
Shangri-la
/ˌʃæŋɡɹɪˈlɑː/ name, noun
name, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A place of complete bliss, delight, and peace, especially one seen as an escape from ordinary life; a paradise.
- Grammar: shangri-la is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: cloudland, dreamland, dystopia, eden.
- Usage evidence: A Himalayan country of lush mountains, Bhutan is known as the world's last Shangri-la.
How to use "shangri-la"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "shangri-la" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "shangri-la" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "shangri-la" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "shangri-la" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "shangri-la" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "cloudland" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "shangri-la", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A place of complete bliss, delight, and peace, especially one seen as an escape from ordinary life; a paradise.
"He spoke a kind of Chinese that I don't understand very well, but I think he said something about a lamasery near here—along the valley, I gathered—where we could get food and shelter. Shangri-La, he called it. La is Tibetan for mountain-pass. He was most emphatic that we should go there."
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of Shangri-La. alt-of
"He couldn't believe it when he'd discovered there actually was a town called Bedford Falls. It seemed like fans of the film had all collected there to live out their lives in a self-created 1940s American Shangri-la."
- 3 any place of complete bliss and delight and peace wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 Former name of Camp David US
Example
"A Himalayan country of lush mountains, Bhutan is known as the world's last Shangri-la."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "shangri-la"?
Common synonyms include: cloudland, dreamland, dystopia, eden, faerie, fairyland.
How do you use "shangri-la" in a sentence?
A Himalayan country of lush mountains, Bhutan is known as the world's last Shangri-la.
How do you pronounce "shangri-la"?
Pronounced /ˌʃæŋɡɹɪˈlɑː/.
Etymology
From a fictional place described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by British author James Hilton (1900–1954): see the quotation below. A Tibetan origin has been suggested, from ཞང (zhang, “name of a district of Ü-Tsang”) + རི (ri, “mountain”) + ལ (la, “pass”), therefore meaning "Mountain Pass of Zhang District".