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hegira

hegira

9.9
A long journey people make to escape danger or trouble
  • noun
  • /hɪˈdʒɪrə/
  • Literature
translation icon : hegira
  • Many refugees undertake a hegira to escape conflict and find safety in another country.

Examples

  • In fact, we can not only identify the place where the Garden of Eden was, we can also identify the place in Africa where our ancestors walked out of that continent. Indeed, all of humanity is descended from a relatively small number of individuals who, roughly 55,000 years ago, slipped away from the ancient continent and, in an epic hegira of 2,500 generations, carried our species to every habitable corner of the planet.

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  • The family's hegira from the war-torn region led them to a peaceful village in the countryside.

  • After the disaster, a mass hegira took place as people fled to safer areas in search of shelter.

Synonyms

journey
vshegira
1.1

A long trip from one place to another or a change in someone's life

is travel specifically made to escape dangerous or hostile situations
flight
vshegira
111 4.9

A quick secret escape from danger or capture

is a planned migration that often takes longer to leave danger
exodus
vshegira
45 7.2

Many people leaving a place at the same time, often to escape danger or bad conditions

emphasizes a purposeful migration rather than only mass departure
hejira
vshegira
  • Archaic
9.9

A long journey by many people to escape danger

is the same in meaning but is a spelling variant

Antonyms

463 2.5

To live in a place, often for a long time

to stay put
  • Informal
133 2.0

Remain in the same place without moving

How Large

exodus
45 7.2
hegira
  • Literature
9.9
migration
41 3.0
to journey
40 2.6
trip
1.0

Surface Forms

hegira singular
hegiras plural

Etymology

Hegira comes from the Arabic word hijra, which means 'migration' and first named the Prophet Muhammad's move from Mecca to Medina. So, hegira now means a large journey or a mass move away from danger.