Shangri-la

[ shang-gruh-lah, shang-gruh-lah ]

noun

1. an imaginary paradise on earth, especially a remote and exotic utopia.
2. a faraway haven or hideaway of idyllic beauty and tranquility:

   Last summer we rented a cottage on a little lake—our perfect Shangri-la.

Shangri-la

/ ˌʃæŋɡrɪˈlɑː /

noun

1. a remote or imaginary utopia

Shangri-La

1. A fictional land of peace and perpetual youth; the setting for the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by the English author James Hilton, but probably best known from the movie versions. Shangri-La is supposedly in the mountains of Tibet .

Notes

A “Shangri-La,” by extension, is an ideal refuge from the troubles of the world.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Shangri-la¹

After the fictional Tibetan land of eternal youth in the novel The Lost Horizon (1933) by James Hilton

Word History and Origins

Origin of Shangri-la¹

C20: from the name of an imaginary valley in the Himalayas, from Lost Horizon (1933), a novel by James Hilton

Example Sentences

“When you walk into this house,” he says, “you are walking into Harlan’s brain. He loved the film ‘Lost Horizon’ and the concept of Shangri-la, a place where everything that gave you joy would exist.

From Los Angeles Times

Mr Zelensky made a surprise appearance at the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore attended by defence chiefs from around the world, including US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chinese defence minister Dong Jun.

From BBC

On Friday, Mr Marcos had just finished delivering the opening address at the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore when a delegate posed a hypothetical situation where Chinese water cannon killed a Filipino soldier.

From BBC

The only ornament was typically a plywood sign spelling out the evocative building name — “The Pad” or “Shangri-la.”

From Los Angeles Times

Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin at Singapore's Shangri-la Dialogue security conference in June, where a handshake marked their closest interaction.

From Reuters