1
as in inferno
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 nightmare
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
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Recent Examples of purgatory
Big tech pivots The AI boom rescued China’s big tech companies from years of regulatory purgatory.
—
Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026
Chloe Lamford’s set is a kind of postindustrial purgatory — a towering, crumbling old garage, decades of dust and dirt gathered at the feet of its pillars.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
Fail to heed the instructions, and you’ll be trapped in this urban purgatory with no way out.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026
Barring a miracle this will be four straight years in the mediocrity that is play-in purgatory.
—Greg Cote
april 6, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purgatory
Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026
Chloe Lamford’s set is a kind of postindustrial purgatory — a towering, crumbling old garage, decades of dust and dirt gathered at the feet of its pillars.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
Fail to heed the instructions, and you’ll be trapped in this urban purgatory with no way out.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026
Barring a miracle this will be four straight years in the mediocrity that is play-in purgatory.
—Greg Cote
april 6, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purgatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purgatory
Noun
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Video of firefighters fighting the inferno shows massive flames shooting out of the top windows onto the roof’s parapet.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
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The Sheriff’s Office had recused itself from the investigation days after the inferno.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This truly is my living nightmare.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Alice is a rural teacher living on a farm with her adoptive parents, but the unexpected return of her siblings transforms the house into a true nightmare.—
Roberto Prieto,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The rules of this netherworld announce themselves, early on, via a nondescript wall sign.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
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Now, in an age of instant communications, their Cold War counterparts could nonetheless disappear into a covert netherworld, loosening Washington’s controls and freeing them to plot coups, mobilize armies, and install governments.—
Alfred McCoy,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Those who suffered through chickenpox as kids likely remember the agony of its itchy rash.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2026
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To encompass the story, about a miracle from 847, when Pope Leo IV stopped a fire with a blessing, Raphael brings you into the fresco through the unshod feet of a woman in agony and leaves you near the very back, with a tiny and serene Leo IV.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Most prior visits had morphed into extended trips into a terrifying medical underworld — to a purgatory known as emergency department boarding.—
Elisabeth Rosenthal,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
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Major gallerists and curators eventually became curious about this irrepressibly cool little underworld.—
Paula Aceves,
Curbed,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Tens of millions of downloads deep, among discussions regarding ongoing bear curses and the quiet art of being a decent person, Drew Barrymore has asked about boogers and Jane Fonda has asked about hope.—
Brittany Delay,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Your precision is a gift, not a curse.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Two Thousand and Late (Atypical Artists) Two Thousand and Late tells the story of a demon from hell sent to bring along the apocalypse.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
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Continue reading … TABLES TURNED — 'The View' co-host says there's a 'special place in hell' for Caitlyn Jenner.—
,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Arrested during a heat wave The ordeal James went through occurred amid a 100-plus-degree heat wave.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
21 Apr. 2026
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What should have been a 30-minute, easy-breezy appointment turned into a two-hour ordeal.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purgatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgatory. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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