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.

Related Words

Relevance

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

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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
  • The soaring temperatures have caused raging infernos across southern France and Spain, with European wildfires burning through 56% more land than in prior years.
    — Oliver Balch, Fortune, 27 July 2026
  • From a military perspective though, this strike, and the infernos which have engulfed other Wildberries facilities, have some important lessons for the rest of the world.
    — David Hambling, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of infernos
Noun
  • But fewer of us recall the nightmares induced by Return to Oz (1985), Disney’s loopy and genuinely frightening stab at a sequel.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Practicing football with a two-foot-long, deadly snake inside your helmet is the stuff of nightmares.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 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
  • In other cases Hoodoo was used to counter the threat of curses, as in the practice of suspending bottles from a tree to trap any malevolent spirits or witches traveling in spirit form.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The cumulative impression of Alice that the book leaves is of someone moving serenely through life, meeting fond blessings and awful curses both with the same calm equanimity.
    — Ian Penman, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of curses
Noun
  • Robert, the son of a more-like-a-brother cousin of Carney’s, disappears, and Carney sets out to find him, navigating the dual underworlds of Harlem crime and Queens politics.
    — David Hajdu, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of underworlds
Noun
  • While Nikki is freed from Bear’s original wish, she’s left with all of the horrors that came from it — including the deaths of her friends, by her hands.
    — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The institute Asher works for has used AI to tap into the memories of the oldest living creatures on earth (the giant sea turtle), unearthing testimony of the long history of mankind’s horrors.
    — John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 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
  • The two have remained united throughout the murder investigation and subsequent legal ordeals regarding Kohberger.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Through their fantastical ordeals, the X-Men illustrate qualities that inspire viewers, young and old.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 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.

Browse Nearby Words

purgatives
purgatories
purgatory
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Purgatories.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgatories. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on purgatories

Nglish: Translation of purgatories for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of oxymoron

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All