heaven
gb/hˈɛvən/ us/hˈɛvən/
A2
English
~ 3700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Paradise in religious belief
A place in some religions where God lives and good people go after they die.
Usage pattern:
in [heaven]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'heaven' with 'sky'. In religious contexts, 'heaven' refers to the afterlife, not the physical sky.
Synonyms
paradise (Often used in religious or figurative contexts, similar in meaning but sometimes less formal.)
Antonyms
hell (Opposite place in religious belief, where bad souls are punished.)
Collocations
go to heaven
|kingdom of heaven
|heaven and earth
|pray to heaven
Themes
religion
|spirituality
|afterlife
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She believed her grandmother was now in heaven.
- In Christian tradition, heaven is the eternal home of the righteous.
- He prayed that his soul would be accepted into heaven.
Learner examples
- My grandmother is in heaven now.
- People pray to go to heaven.
- Heaven is a happy place after death.
Noun
B1
entity
2
The sky or space above Earth
The sky or space above the Earth.
Usage pattern:
in the [heavens]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this meaning with the religious one; context usually makes it clear.
Synonyms
sky (More common in everyday speech; 'heavens' is more poetic or formal.)
Antonyms
earth (The ground or land below, opposite of the sky above.)
Collocations
the starry heavens
|open heavens
|heavens above
Themes
nature
|astronomy
|space
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Dark clouds gathered in the heavens.
- The rocket disappeared into the heavens.
- Birds soared high into the heavens.
Learner examples
- The sun is high in the heavens.
- Stars shine in the heavens at night.
- Birds fly in the heavens.
Noun
informal
A2
state
3
A feeling of great happiness
A very happy and pleasant feeling or situation.
Usage pattern:
be in [heaven]
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this is figurative and not about the religious place.
Synonyms
bliss (More formal or literary; often used for deep emotional happiness.)
Antonyms
misery (A state of great unhappiness or suffering, opposite of joy.)
Collocations
pure heaven
|this is heaven
|feels like heaven
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Lying on the beach with a cold drink was pure heaven.
- For a chocolate lover, this shop is heaven.
- After a long day, a hot bath feels like heaven.
Learner examples
- This cake tastes like heaven.
- The holiday was heaven for me.
- A warm bed is heaven on a cold night.
Grammar
Dictionary form
heaven
IPA
GB/hˈɛvən/
US/hˈɛvən/
Syllables & stress
heav - en (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (heav)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: heaven
- Plural: heaven, heavens
Word family
Expressions
for the love of heaven
1/fɚ ðə lˈʌv əv hˈɛvən/
idiom
informal
Exclamation of frustration or surprise
Used when you are upset, surprised, or want to emphasize something.
Examples
- For the love of heaven, be quiet!
- For the love of heaven, what are you doing?
move heaven and earth
1/mˈuv hˈɛvən ˈænd ˈɚθ/
idiom
Do everything you can to succeed
To try everything you can to make something happen.
Examples
- They moved heaven and earth to finish the project on time.
- She would move heaven and earth to help her children.
thank heavens
1/θˈæŋk hˈɛvənz/
idiom
informal
Express relief or thanks
To say you are happy or relieved about something good that happened.
Examples
- Thank heavens you arrived safely.
- Thank heavens it didn’t rain during the wedding.
heaven forbid
1/hˈɛvən fɚbˈɪd/
idiom
informal
Strongly hope something won't happen
Used to say you really hope something bad will not happen.
Examples
- Heaven forbid we should run out of coffee!
- Heaven forbid anything should happen to the children.
heaven forbid
2/hˈɛvən fɚbˈɪd/
idiom
let’s hope that doesn’t happen
Another way to say you strongly hope something bad does not happen.
Examples
- Heaven forbid we miss the deadline again.
- Heaven forbid that the rumor turns out to be true.
match made in heaven
1/mˈæt͡ʃ mˈeɪd ˈɪn hˈɛvən/
idiom
informal
Extremely compatible pairing
A very good combination of two people or things that work well together.
Examples
- Their partnership is a match made in heaven.
- Chocolate and peanut butter are a match made in heaven.
match made in heaven
2/mˈæt͡ʃ mˈeɪd ˈɪn hˈɛvən/
idiom
Perfect combination or partnership
Two people or things that go perfectly together.
Examples
- Their partnership was a match made in heaven.
- Chocolate and strawberries are a match made in heaven.