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promised land

promised land

14 6.0
A place or situation someone hopes will bring them happiness after a long struggle
  • noun
  • /ˈprɑːmɪst lænd/
translation icon : tierra prometida
  • For many artists, a major exhibit in New York City is considered the promised land of their profession.
  • reach the promised land

Sometimes, you know, if I'm strong enough to, you know, get to the promised land that I know is inside of my heart.

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Examples

  • America was seen as a promised land for the poor and politically oppressed from all corners of the world.

    Academic text (1990)
  • We seem to be on a constant and futile chase after the promised land of lasting happiness.

    Blog text (27)
  • So the search for the promised land can be a journey of a group of people for various reasons.

  • Welcome to the promised land.

  • I even thought it might be the promised land.

  • I guess it's my personal promised land now.

  • Come, let me take you by the hand, and lead you to a promised land.

  • But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the promised land.

    Academic text (2003)
  • As far as they were concerned, this was their home, their promised land, to which they were, in a spiritual sense, returning.

    Academic text (2013)
  • We learn about the promised land in the New World, the economic opportunities there, and the Pilgrims' hopes for religious freedom.

    Academic text (1999)

Synonyms

heaven
vspromised land
237 1.0

A very happy and peaceful state

is the expected outcome after struggle rather than general bliss
paradise
vspromised land
192 4.0

A place or state of perfect happiness and peace

is what people expect to reach after long waiting or struggle
Shangri-la
vspromised land
  • Literature
7 9.8

An imaginary perfect, peaceful place where people feel very happy and safe

is a hoped destination reached after struggle rather than only imagination
Promised Land
vspromised land
6 6.2

A place or state where you reach great happiness after effort

is the place one expects to reach after long struggle
nirvana
vspromised land
5 7.9

A very peaceful happy state with no worry or pain

is the hoped destination after long struggle rather than pure liberation
Eden
vspromised land
1 6.8

A place or state that has great happiness and peace

is the hoped for place found after long struggle

How Ideal

utopia
18 7.7
promised land
14 6.0
haven
108 3.9
refuge
179 3.3
place
1.0

Surface Forms

promised land singular

Morphology

promise + land

The meaning is directly derivable from the constituents: 'promised' = something pledged or guaranteed and 'land' = a place, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer a place that has been promised and therefore expected to bring fulfillment. This metaphorical extension (a place of hope or fulfillment) is common cross-linguistically (e.g., Spanish 'tierra prometida') and follows straightforward compositional logic, making it transparent.

Etymology

Promised land comes from the Bible, where God promised the Israelites a new land as a safe home after a long journey. That strong picture of finding a place of 'hope' and 'rest' after struggle explains why today promised land means a place or situation people expect will bring 'happiness' or 'fulfillment'.