pilgrimage
/'pilgrimidʤ/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. A journey to a sacred place: A pilgrimage is a journey, often a long one, made to a sacred place as an act of religious devotion or spiritual significance. 2. A journey to a place of special historical or emotional interest: By extension, it can refer to any meaningful journey to a location associated with a person, idea, or event that one deeply respects or admires.
Usage and Examples
- As a religious/spiritual journey:
- Every year, millions of Muslims make a pilgrimage to Mecca.
- The ancient trail is used by pilgrims on their pilgrimage to the holy shrine.
- As a journey of personal significance:
- Fans made a pilgrimage to the singer's hometown after his death.
- Visiting the author's house felt like a literary pilgrimage.
Advanced Usage
- "To go on/ make a pilgrimage": This is the standard collocation for undertaking such a journey.
- They saved for years to go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
- Used metaphorically to describe a long, difficult, or searching process.
- His career has been a long pilgrimage towards artistic truth.
Variants and Related Words
- Pilgrim (noun): A person who undertakes a pilgrimage.
- The pilgrims gathered at the starting point of their journey.
- Pilgrimage (verb, less common): To make a pilgrimage.
- They pilgrimaged to the site of the miracle.
Synonyms
- Hajj: Specifically refers to the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca.
- Crusade: Historically, a medieval military expedition to recover the Holy Land; can imply a vigorous campaign for a cause, but is not a direct synonym for a peaceful religious journey.
- Expedition: A journey for a specific purpose, but without the inherent religious or deeply personal connotation.
Idioms and Phrases
- "Pilgrimage of the heart": A metaphorical journey of deep emotional or spiritual reflection, not necessarily involving physical travel.
- Reading her journals was a pilgrimage of the heart.
Noun
- a journey to a sacred place