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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Recent Examples of purgatory
Nonetheless, her bloodlust propels her through a liminal purgatory called Otherworld, a desert plane of reality ravaged by war, rife with innocent victims, and haunted by rootless spirits like her.
—
Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
Unfortunately, Thirtysomething is still languishing in streaming purgatory, with the show only available to watch on DVD.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
But the couple find themselves back in purgatory once again after Usagi is lured back by the chance to see her late father.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
Banda offers Ryuji the secrets of the world of death beyond Borderland in exchange for bringing Usagi and Arisu to the purgatory.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for purgatory
Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
Unfortunately, Thirtysomething is still languishing in streaming purgatory, with the show only available to watch on DVD.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
But the couple find themselves back in purgatory once again after Usagi is lured back by the chance to see her late father.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
Banda offers Ryuji the secrets of the world of death beyond Borderland in exchange for bringing Usagi and Arisu to the purgatory.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for purgatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purgatory
Noun
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The scrutiny comes after the arrest of Jonathan Rinderknecht, who is accused of setting a smaller blaze six days earlier that authorities say sparked the larger inferno.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Oct. 2025
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His partner also appeared to help pull the man away from the inferno.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
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People who have extreme nightmares from PTSD can use NightWare, a prescription-only system that comes with a preprogrammed Apple Watch and detects if the wearer is having a nightmare.—
Nancy Walecki,
The Atlantic,
25 Oct. 2025
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In the decades since, gothic nightmares like Crimson Peak and supernatural horrors like Poltergeist have risen as staples of the subgenre.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Nicole finds herself in an all too familiar place for those who have experienced the early phase of young-onset neurological disease, a netherworld between acceptance and denial.—
Gus Alexiou,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
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The other two-thirds are on a scale of anxiously hopeful to beyond desperate -- an amorphous netherworld of doubt that, yes, includes the Miami Dolphins with Tua Tagovailoa, or should.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The wife ushers the two frightened boys behind her, and watches on helplessly as her husband screams in agony and terror, thrashing his arms and legs.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
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Please, more of Isabella lightly teasing Marty about his tendency to flagellate himself while considering the agony of the human condition.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In The Furious, when his daughter Rainy is abducted, humble tradesman Wang Wei is thrust into a deadly underworld of corruption and violence.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
28 Oct. 2025
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The story centers on Wang Wei, a humble tradesman forced into a violent criminal underworld after his daughter Rainy is kidnapped.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But, because of the fragile nature of the pumpkin, Bierton understands that it’s not meant to last, which is both a blessing and a curse.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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The pic, from director Marcel Walz and Anathema LLC, follows what happens when a carefree night of partying takes a sinister turn when a group of friends stumble upon an ancient curse and are forced to survive until dawn as a malevolent force begins hunting them.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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This is a producer who swindled money endlessly and made life hell for his victims.—
Steve Belanger,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
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The film, set in the world of 1950s ping pong culture, tells the story of Marty Mauser (Chalamet), a young man with a dream no one respects, who goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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None of the hikers were injured as a result of the ordeal, according to the sheriff’s department.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
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And though the legal process has been a huge ordeal, Cahall’s nowhere near giving up the good fight.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Purgatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgatory. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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