oasis

noun

oa·​sis ō-ˈā-səs 

plural oases ō-ˈā-ˌsēz 

1

: a fertile or green area in an arid region (such as a desert)

The caravan stopped to rest at an oasis.

2

: something that provides refuge, relief, or pleasant contrast

The small park is a welcome oasis amid the city's many factories.

Examples of oasis in a Sentence

The small park is a welcome oasis amid the city's many factories.

Our brief trip to the beach was a much-needed oasis in a summer of hard work.

Recent Examples on the Web

For the trend-seeking 20-something-year-olds of Fort Lauderdale, Thrive Art District, a commerce and arts hub near downtown, may be their new oasis. —Amanda Rosa, Sun Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2026

For the trend-seeking 20-something-year-olds of Fort Lauderdale, Thrive Art District, a commerce and arts hub near downtown, may be their new oasis. —Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026

Magical fairies are returning to Orlando’s 50-acre botanical oasis this summer, bringing back a tradition that has enthralled visitors of all ages. —Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026

A number of denouements follow in All That’s Left of You, including a jump forward into 2022, when Hanan and Salim, who now live in Canada, go back to Jaffa and find Salim’s old family home, a run-down oasis of the past in a city determined to forget its history. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin Oasis, referring to the Great Oasis of Kharge in the Libyan Desert of Egypt, borrowed from Greek Óasis (Herodotus), borrowed from Egyptian wḥꜢ.t "fertile area in the desert"

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for oasis

• basis
• glacis
• mesas
• stasis
• anabasis
• cholestasis
• haemostasis
• hemostasis
• hypostasis
• atelectasis
• bronchiectasis
• homeostasis

Kids Definition

oasis

noun

oa·​sis ō-ˈā-səs 

plural oases -ˈā-ˌsēz 

1

: a fertile or green spot in a desert

2

: something or some place that provides refreshing relief