purgatories

noun

plural of purgatory
1
as in infernos
a temporary place or state in which the souls of people who die make amends for their sins It was a summer job that felt like purgatory to the teen.

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2
as in nightmares
a place or state of temporary suffering We found ourselves trapped in the purgatory of a rush-hour traffic jam.

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for purgatories
  1. infernos
  2. nightmares
  3. hells
  4. curses
  5. underworlds
  6. horrors
  7. abysses
  8. ordeals
Noun
  • Mounting death tolls in the US, Australia, Chile and other countries over the past decade have revealed how unprepared many policymakers and residents are for such rapidly moving infernos.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 8 July 2026
  • Six days later, powerful Santa Ana winds kicked up smoldering embers that sparked one of Los Angeles’ most devastating infernos.
    — Char Miller, Time, 30 June 2026
Definition of infernos
Noun
  • Now imagine all their parents having nightmares that this was their university experience.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • Set amid the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, the tragic tale of Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is famous for allowing real nightmares to masquerade as bloody fairytales.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 30 June 2026
Definition of nightmares
Noun
  • The Avici hell is the lowest and most terrible level of the eight hot hells of Buddhism, where those who’ve committed serious crimes (like parricide) must face constant suffering.
    — Regina Kim, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
  • Smith stays largely mum on the news of the day, be that Kirk’s killing, or ICE raids, or whatever hells await in the coming weeks.
    — Sam Kestenbaum, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
Definition of hells
Noun
  • Directed by Sébastien Vanicek (2023’s Infested), the follow-up to 2023 reboot Evil Dead Rise stars Wednesday‘s Hunter Doohan in a story about curses lingering too long in a family and the undead that haunts them.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 7 July 2026
  • Morgan and her Judgment Day cronies tried to bribe Danhausen to put curses on their opponents.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 28 June 2026
Definition of curses
Noun
  • When the gang comes to the attention of Major Chester Campbell, a DCI in the Royal Irish Constabulary, the wheels are set in motion for adventures through the dangerous underworlds of early 20th-century Britain.
    — Connor Sturges, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Mar. 2026
  • For Aronofsky, the city’s ethnic blend has no special claim on virtue; there seem to be as many criminal underworlds as there are demographic groups.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2025
Definition of underworlds
Noun
  • Here’s a guy who wrote a whole book about the horrors of wokeness.
    — Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 19 July 2026
  • The horrors of what Henry has left behind — and could easily be returned to — are hardly skipped over.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 18 July 2026
Definition of horrors
Noun
  • Jean-Pierre is an artifact of an age that looks recent on paper but feels prehistoric in practice—the age of pantsuits, the word ’empowerment,’ the musical Hamilton, the cheap therapeutic entreaties to ‘work on yourself’ and ‘lean in’ to various corporate abysses.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Dec. 2025
  • On the other side of the country, Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, a longtime reader favorite, is a warm alternative to sterile airport abysses.
    — Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Oct. 2024
Definition of abysses
Noun
  • Through their fantastical ordeals, the X-Men illustrate qualities that inspire viewers, young and old.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • People who have been at this work longer, or have survived similar ordeals, can help a mentee see around corners.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 June 2026
Definition of ordeals
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Purgatories.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgatories. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of purgatories for Spanish Speakers

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