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
  • 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
  • Facts + Comments A medication derived from cannabis significantly reduced nightmares in patients with PTSD, according to German researchers.
    — Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Now in rehabilitation outside Khartoum, hundreds of former child fighters struggle with physical wounds, nightmares and family rejection as global agencies push Sudan to free and protect these boys.
    — Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 3 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
  • 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
  • The woods could be hiding places of witches and sorcerers, disguised as the old and feeble, but capable of summoning wonder and terrors, charms as well as curses.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 July 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
  • Most notably, the release of Twain’s 2011 memoir From This Moment On opened the floodgates on the Twain family’s house of horrors.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 July 2026
  • As fresh waves of troops continue to be exposed to the horrors of war, Odysseus’ trauma also continues to hit home.
    — Amy S. Badura-Brack, The Conversation, 30 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
  • 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.

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Cite this Entry

“Purgatories.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgatories. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of purgatories for Spanish Speakers

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