heaven

Syllables: heav·en/ˈhɛvən/

heaven noun: the distant sky in which the sun, moon, and stars appear or move; the firmament; the celestial spheres.

Noun

heaven (countable and uncountable, plural heavens)

(dated, plural-normally, poetic) The distant sky in which the sun, moon, and stars appear or move; the firmament; the celestial spheres.
- All that is vnder the heauen.1535, Coverdale Bible, Ecclesiastes 3:1
- The ordinaunce...made such a great noyse and thunderyng that it seemed the heaven would have fallen.1585, Nicholas de Nicolay, translated by Thomas Washington, The nauigations, peregrinations and voyages, made into Turkie by Nicholas Nicholay, I vi 4
(obsolete) The near sky in which weather, flying animals, etc. appear; (obsolete) the atmosphere; the climate.
- Everie...Countrie, by the nature of the place, the climate of the Heaven, and the influence of the starres hath certaine vertues.1581, Stefano Guazzo, translated by George Pettie, Ciuile Conuersation, I 26
- The qualitie of mercie is not ſtraind,
  it droppeth as the gentle raine from heauen
  vpon the place beneathc. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...
(obsolete) A model displaying the movement of the celestial bodies, an orrery.
- Euery man cannot, with Archimedes, make a heauen of brasse.1600, Thomas Nashe, Summers Last Will
(capitalized, usually) The abode of God and of the angels and saints in His presence.
- And there was a battel in heauen. Michael & his Angels foght againſt the dragon, and the dragon foght & his Angels. But they preuailed not, nether was their place founde anie more in heauen.1560, Geneva Bible, Revelation 12:7–8
- Conſider firſt that the excommunicated Prelate ſaith... Kings are not immediatly from God, as by any ſpeciall Ordinance ſent from Heaven by the miniſtery of Angels and Prophets, there were but ſome few ſuch, as Moſes, Saul, David, etc.1644, Samuel Rutherford, Lex, Rex: The Law and the Prince, V 16
Synonyms:

pearly gates
(broadly, capitalized, often) The abode of the Abrahamic God; similar abodes of the gods in other religions and traditions, such as Mount Olympus.
- With Ioue in heauen, or some where else.c. 1588–1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac...
- As he [Muhammad] was returning, in the fourth Heaven, Moses advised him to goe back to God.1649, Alexander Ross translating the Sieur Du Ryer, The Alcoran Of Mahomet, Translated out of the Arabique into French... newly Englished, 406
(broadly, capitalized, usually) Providence, the will of God or the council of the gods; fate.
- […]he cannot thriue,
  Vnlesse her prayers, whom heauen delights to heare
  And loues to grant, repreeue him from the wrath
  Of greatest Iustice.c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...
- After that thou shalt haue knowen that the heauens doe rule.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Daniel 4:26
The afterlife of the blessed dead, traditionally conceived as opposed to an afterlife of the wicked and unjust (compare hell); specifically
- I wonder what your idea of heaven would be—A beautiful vacuum filled with wealthy monogamists, all powerful and members of the best families drinking themselves to death. And hell would probably be an ugly vacuum full of poor polygamists unable to obtain booze... To me heaven would be a big bull...1925 July 1, Ernest Hemingway, letter to F. Scott Fitzgerald
Paradise, the afterlife of the souls who are not sent to a place of punishment or purification such as hell, purgatory, or limbo; the state or condition of being in the presence of God after death.
- Teache the people to gett heuen with fastynge.1544, Richard Tracy, A supplycacion to our moste soueraigne lorde Kynge henry the eyght Kynge of England of Fraunce and of Irelande, section C
- ...what I speake
  My body shall make good vpon this earth,
  Or my diuine soule answer it in heauen.1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to...
Synonyms:

paradise, kingdom come, Xanadu, Promised Land
(broadly, capitalized, often) The afterlife of the blessed dead in other religions and traditions, such as the Pure Land or Elysium.
- The belief in ascending to Heaven after death became widespread in the Han dynasty.2011, Lillian Tseng, Picturing Heaven in Early China, section 3
(broadly) Any paradise; any blissful place or experience.
- Ile follow thee and make a heauen of hell.c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First...
- England, that was formerly the heaven, would be now the hell for women.1660 November 14, a speech in the House of Commons in W. Cobbett, Parl. Hist. (1808), IV 145
Synonyms:

delight, dream, paradise
(broadly) A state of bliss; a peaceful ecstasy.
- Husbandes are in heauen...whose wiues scold not.1550, J. Heywood, Dialogue Prov. Eng. Tongue, II vii
- Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive,
  But to be young was very heaven!1809 October 26, William Wordsworth, “The French Revolution as It Appeared to Enthusiasts at Its Commencement”, in Friend, No. 11, ll. 4-5
(informal) Similarly blissful afterlives, places, or states for particular people, animals, or objects.
- Perhaps it has gone to the dog heaven, and is wagging somewhere in glory.1867, J.W. De Forest, Miss Ravenel's Conversion, XXVI 368
- His pet name for Easthampton is ‘Goose-heaven’, and he harps upon the idea eternally.1879 February, J. H. Payne, Scribner's Monthly, 470 2

Verb

heaven (third-person singular simple present heavens, present participle heavening, simple past and past participle heavened)

(obsolete) To transport to the abode of God, the gods, or the blessed.
- He heauens himselfe on earth, & for a litle pelfe cousens himselfe of blisse.1614, Thomas Adams, The divells banket described in sixe sermons, II 81
(obsolete) To beatify, enchant, or please greatly.
- They [Byron's Tales]...enraptured the public and heavened Murray.1924 April 13, Observer, 12 4
(obsolete) To beautify, to make into a paradise.

Adjective

heaven (comparative more heaven, superlative most heaven)

(obsolete) Being heavenly.

Proper noun capitalized: Heaven

Heaven

The abode of God or the gods, when considered as a specific location; the abode of the blessed departed who reside in the presence of God or the gods
- Conſider firſt that the excommunicated Prelate ſaith... Kings are not immediatly from God, as by any ſpeciall Ordinance ſent from Heaven by the miniſtery of Angels and Prophets, there were but ſome few ſuch, as Moſes, Saul, David, etc.1644, Samuel Rutherford, Lex, Rex: The Law and the Prince, V 16
- Better to reign in Hell, then serve in Heav'n.1667, John Milton, “Book I”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished...
Providence, the will of God or the gods, when considered as a personal entity or specific aspect of the divine; Fate
- ...but that the will
  And high permission of all-ruling Heaven
  Left him at large to his own dark designs,1667, John Milton, “Book I”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished...
- Heaven commands thine arm
  To lift the sure-destroying sword!1793, Henry Boyd, Poems, II iv 270
(uncommon) Other extended senses of heaven as a specific place similar to the abode of God, the gods, or the blessed departed
- The mind is its own place, and in it self
  Can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n.1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost, I 254-255
(obsolete) The sky, particularly its distant aspect as the abode of the sun, moon, and stars
- Everie...Countrie, by the nature of the place, the climate of the Heaven, and the influence of the starres hath certaine vertues.1581, Stefano Guazzo, translated by George Pettie, Ciuile Conuersation, I 26
- The Heauens...are carried in 24 houres from East to West.1625, Nathanæl Carpenter, Geography delineated forth in two bookes, I iv 77
(Chinese) The supreme God or Nature which controls the universe.
- What Heaven has conferred is called the Nature...1893, James Legge, transl., The Doctrine of the Mean
- ...‘Heaven’ as we use it throughout the book is only a convenient but inaccurate translation of the Chinese character tian. Heaven in Chinese religions as well as in the Confucian tradition has multidimensional implications... In its metaphysical and physical connotation, Heaven... refers to......2000, Yao Xinzhong, An Introduction to Confucianism, page 142
Synonyms:

Tian
(uncommon) A surname originating as a patronymic derived from Evan
(rare) A female given name from English of modern usage from the noun heaven.

heaven meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu

heaven in Hindi

sky: आकाश ākāś, गगन gagan, अम्बर ambar, व्योम vyom
paradise and upper-world: स्वर्ग svarg, वैकुंठ vaikuṇṭh, देवलोक devlok
blissful place or experience: स्वर्ग svarg, वैकुंठ vaikuṇṭh, देवलोक devlok

heaven in Tamil

paradise and upper-world: சொர்க்கம் corkkam

heaven in Marathi

paradise and upper-world: स्वर्ग svarga, वैकुंठ vaikuṇṭha

heaven in Urdu

sky: آکاش ākāś, آسمان āsmān, گگن
paradise and upper-world: جَنَّت jannat, فِرْدَوس firdaus, بِہِشْت bihiśt

More languagesFewer languages

heaven in Bengali: আকাশ akaś, আসমান asman, স্বর্গ śorgo, জান্নাত jannat
heaven in Telugu: స్వర్గం svargaṁ
heaven in Malayalam: സ്വർഗ്ഗം svaṟggaṁ, നാകം nākaṁ, വിണ്ടലം viṇṭalaṁ, വിഷ്ണുലോകം viṣṇulōkaṁ
heaven in Kannada: ಸ್ವರ್ಗ svarga
heaven in Punjabi: بہشت bahiśt, ਸੁਰਗ surg, سورگ surg, ਅਰਸ਼ araś
heaven in Gujarati: સ્વર્ગ svarg, જન્નત jannat, વહિશ્ત vahiśt, ફિરદોસ phirdos
heaven in Odia: ସ୍ୱର୍ଗ swarga
heaven in Sanskrit: स्वर्ग svarga, स्वर्गलोक svargaloka
heaven in Sinhala: භුවන bhuwana
heaven in Assamese: স্বৰ্গ sorgo, বেহেস্ত behesto, সৰগ xorog
heaven in Nepali: गगन gagan
heaven in Pashto: هسک hask, جنت janat
heaven in Tagalog: langit, kalangitan, paraiso
heaven in Arabic: سَمَاء samāʔ, فَلَك falak, سَمَاء f جَنَّة f فِرْدَوْس janna, جَنَّة f فِرْدَوْس janna
heaven in Malay: syurga, kayangan, jannah, jannat
heaven in Indonesian: langit, surga
heaven in Persian: آسمان âsmân, سپهر sepehr, گرزمان garozmân, بهشت behešt
heaven in Thai: ฟ้า fáa, สวรรค์ sà-wǎn
heaven in Vietnamese: trời, thiên đường, thiên đàng
heaven in Myanmar: ကောင်းကင် kaung:kang, ကောင်းကင်ဘုံ kaung:kangbhum, လောကနိဗ္ဗာန် lau:ka.nibban

Examples of heaven in a sentence

God framed alſo the Stars and conſtellations; ſome fixed for the Ornament of Heaven and might, very many in number.1656, Tho[mas] Stanley, “[The Doctrine of Plato Delivered by Alcinous.] Chap[ter] XIV. Of the Soul of the World, the Sphears and Stars.”...
The moon's path lies in that belt of the heavens known as the zodiac.1930 March, Nature, 179 2:
In an infinite...universe the stars would collectively outshine the Sun and flood the heavens with light far more intense than is observed.1981, E.R. Harrison, Cosmology, XII 250:
Above is Heaven, Below are Suzhou and Hangzhou2006, Peter Carroll translating a maxim of the Southern Song dynasty in Between Heaven and Modernity: Reconstructing Suzhou, 1895–1937

All 40 example sentences with heaven

Synonyms of heaven

1 more synonymsFewer synonyms

welkin

Antonyms

All synonyms and antonyms of heaven

Forms of heaven

Noun
plural	heavens
alternative poetic	heav'n
Verb
third-person singular present	heavens
present participle	heavening
past participle	heavened
past	heavened
Adjective
comparative	more heaven
superlative	most heaven

Plural of heaven: heavens

Origin of heaven

From a wide variety of Middle English forms including hevene, heven, hevin, and hewin (“heaven, sky”), from Old English heofon, heofone (“heaven, sky”), from Proto-West Germanic *hebn (“heaven, sky”), of uncertain origin. Cognate with Scots heiven, hewin (“heaven, sky”), Middle Dutch heven (“sky, heaven”), Low German Heven (“heaven, sky”), and possibly the rare Icelandic and Old Norse hifinn (“heaven, sky”), which are all probably dissimilated forms of the Germanic root which appears in Old Norse himinn (“heaven, sky”), Gothic 𐌷𐌹𐌼𐌹𐌽𐍃 (himins, “heaven, sky”), Old Swedish himin, Old Danish himæn and probably also (in another variant form) Old Saxon himil, Old Dutch himil (modern Dutch hemel), and Old High German himil (German Himmel). Accepting these as cognates, some scholars propose a further derivation from Proto-Germanic *himinaz (“cover, cloud cover, firmament, sky, heaven”).

See heaven.

Words formed from heaven

Words that rhyme with heaven

4 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about heaven

What does heaven mean?: Heaven means the distant sky in which the sun, moon, and stars appear or move; the firmament; the celestial spheres.
What is heaven in Hindi?: Heaven in Hindi is आकाश (ākāś), गगन (gagan), अम्बर (ambar). See Heaven meaning in Hindi.
How do you use heaven in a sentence?: God framed alſo the Stars and conſtellations; ſome fixed for the Ornament of Heaven and might, very many in number.
What part of speech is heaven?: Heaven can be a noun, a verb, an adjective or a proper noun.
How do you pronounce heaven?: Heaven is pronounced /ˈhɛvən/.
What is the plural of heaven?: The plural of heaven is heavens.

Words near heaven in the dictionary

Adapted from Wiktionary: heaven (page history and authors); Heaven (page history and authors); അഗിരം (Malayalam) (page history and authors); ಸ್ವರ್ಗ (Kannada) (page history and authors); بہشت (Punjabi) (page history and authors); භුවන (Sinhala) (page history and authors); गगन (Nepali) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: En-uk-heaven.ogg, En-us-heaven.ogg.

Cite this entry: “heaven.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/heaven. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.