nirvana

noun

nir·​va·​na nir-ˈvä-nə 

(ˌ)nər-

often capitalized

1

: the final beatitude (see beatitude sense 1a) that transcends suffering, karma, and samsara and is sought especially in Buddhism through the extinction of desire and individual consciousness

2

a

: a place or state of oblivion to care, pain, or external reality

alcohol-induced nirvana

also : bliss, heaven

The resort is a skier's and snowboarder's nirvana.

b

: a goal hoped for but apparently unattainable : dream

… that nirvana of the … weatherman: A foolproof system of forecasting.

—Newsweek

nirvanic

nir-ˈvä-nik 

-ˈva-

(ˌ)nər-

adjective

Synonyms

• forgetfulness
• oblivion
• obliviousness

Examples of nirvana in a Sentence

the spa experience was a week of pure nirvana

the popular fantasy that life as a beachcomber in the South Pacific would be never-ending nirvana

Recent Examples on the Web

This Broadway Center Stage mounting is a tightly packed clown car, speeding to musical-theater nirvana. —Peter Marks, Washington Post, 15 May 2023

Several tournament anglers have lived big bass nirvana on Rayburn in recent times, including a trio of single-day tournament catches topping the 40-pound mark on five fish. —Matt Williams, Dallas News, 22 Jan. 2022

Cord-cutters who initially found streaming to be a low-cost nirvana have seen that dream pretty much dashed as the number of streaming platforms has exploded and prices have risen. —Vulture, 11 Aug. 2022

The key to achieving this nirvana is first to ensure that the star in question has a broad, diverse repertory that became the soundtrack to the key moments of life. —Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 4 Dec. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Sanskrit nirvāṇa, literally, act of extinguishing, from nis- out + vāti it blows — more at wind entry 1

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1