Elysium

noun

Ely·​si·​um i-ˈli-zhē-əm 

-zē-

plural Elysiums or Elysia i-ˈli-zhē-ə 

-zē-

1

: an eternal paradise in ancient Greek mythology originally only for heroes and others granted immortality by the gods and later also for the blessed dead and those who lived a righteous life : elysian field

Homer believed that the Canaries [Canary Islands] were Elysium, a place where the righteous spent their afterlife, and thereafter they have been known as the "Fortunate Islands".

—David Sandhu

2

: a place or state of bliss, felicity, or delight : paradise

Outside, paths led through a manicured landscape to batting cages and warmup areas, and, beyond, to four full-sized, serenely perfect playing fields. It was a little Elysium devoted exclusively to health, comfort, and baseball.

—Bill Bryson

As soon as I tasted it, gravity dropped away and I was floating freely in a creamy Elysium. For days, I could not stop telling my friends about this milky Italian intoxicant called burrata.

—Jeff Gordinier

Did you know?

This word came into Latin from the Greek Elysion. In classical mythology, Elysium, or the Elysian fields, was the home of the blessed after death, the final resting place of the souls of the heroic and the pure. So it's easy to see how the word came to mean any place or state of bliss or delight. When we try to picture heaven, many of us probably see a lovely park; the great boulevard of Paris was named for the beautiful park that originally bordered it: the Champs-Elysées, or Elysian Fields.

Synonyms

• sky
• bliss
• heaven
• Zion
• paradise
• Sion

Examples of Elysium in a Sentence

the mourners were comforted by their belief that the saintly woman was now experiencing the joys of Elysium

the universal pipe dream that there exists somewhere an earthly Elysium where people live trouble-free lives

Recent Examples on the Web

The Elysium Spa, an 18,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art space, will tie together the entire experience. —Carley Rojas Ávila, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025

Her philanthropic efforts include supporting the Art of Elysium, with aspirations to establish a foundation for children worldwide. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 31 July 2025

The famed music venue anchors one end of the Red River Cultural District, a coalition of clubs and businesses that includes official SXSW venues such as Stubb's BBQ, Cheer Up Charlies, Elysium, Empire and Swan Dive. —Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025

What other companies offer 'space burials'? Elysium Space, based in San Francisco, California, also offers memorial spaceflights. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 27 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek Ēlysion

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

Elysium

noun

Ely·​si·​um i-ˈlizh-ē-əm 

-ˈliz-

: a place or state of ideal happiness

Elysian

-ˈlizh-ən

adjective

Etymology

derived from Greek Ēlysion, name in mythology of a place for the dead