Word
nirvana
Phoneticsnir·vana
US/nɝˈvɑnə/
UK/nɜːvˈɑːnɐ/
Definitions
01spiritual enlightenment
n. in some religions, a state of perfect peace where you no longer feel pain or desire.
n. the ultimate state of spiritual enlightenment in Buddhism and Hinduism, characterized by the extinction of individual consciousness and release from the cycle of rebirth.
“The monk spent his entire life meditating in hopes of reaching nirvana.”
“In Buddhist philosophy, achieving nirvana represents the final cessation of suffering and the end of the cycle of reincarnation.”
Technical
Synonyms
Antonyms
02perfect happiness
n. a state of great pleasure or a place that feels perfect.
n. a state of supreme bliss, peace, or perfection; often used to describe an ideal situation or environment.
“Sitting on the quiet beach with a good book was absolute nirvana for her.”
“For the exhausted hikers, the sight of the luxury hotel at the end of the trail was pure nirvana.”
Informal
Etymology
Borrowed from Sanskrit निर्वाण (nirvāṇa, “blown or put out, extinguished”), from निस् (nis, “out”) + वा (vā, “to blow”), the second part cognate with Russian ве́тер (véter, “wind”), weather, vent and wind.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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englishreference.com/q/nirvana