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
This last group remained in a sort of custodial purgatory, until a judge decided their fates in the Los Angeles County dependency case.
—
Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The firms stuck in pilot purgatory share a different pattern.
—Amy Eliza Wong, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
Simon Williams is a struggling actor marooned in that familiar Los Angeles purgatory.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 27 Jan. 2026
Many homeowners are stuck in 3% mortgage purgatory, unwilling to trade into a higher payment.
—John Walkup, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purgatory
Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The firms stuck in pilot purgatory share a different pattern.
—Amy Eliza Wong, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
Simon Williams is a struggling actor marooned in that familiar Los Angeles purgatory.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 27 Jan. 2026
Many homeowners are stuck in 3% mortgage purgatory, unwilling to trade into a higher payment.
—John Walkup, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purgatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purgatory
Noun
-
The inferno destroyed most of the town of Paradise in Northern California and killed 85 people.—
Melody Petersen,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Like a blazing inferno, the riot spreads swiftly and suddenly.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Marco Bellocchio‘s six-episode Italian-language drama is a living nightmare of the past that doubles as an agonizing manifestation of the present — a potent reminder that widespread stupidity isn’t confined to a single time or place.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
20 Feb. 2026
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Because of the technology, all résumés and cover letters look the same, spelling a hiring nightmare for recruiters who are left to emphasize other parts of the hiring process to differentiate among candidates.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Girand’s journey into this netherworld was sparked by neighborhood chaos and an attempt to understand what was happening.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
12 Jan. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.—
Staff Photographer,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Latinx people of conscience recognize our own tios, tias, primos, primas, mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers in the brown faces being livestreamed with blood and agony pouring into enraged mouths asking for help.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There was a dark underworld to London.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Fame and fortune beckon, but soon their newfound celebrity status attracts attention from the criminal underworld.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The tabloids go occult, explaining death after death through the logic of the Kennedy curse.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
-
We were drawn to the emotional weight of estranged siblings and the idea of a curse that’s passed down, not just through folklore, but through family trauma.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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As Bellocchio shows, overnight Tortora’s life became a living hell, one that would go on, in prisons and courts and in the tabloids, for years.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
16 Feb. 2026
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Sold to Menemsha, genuinely tense and gorgeously shot, highlighting the heavenly mountains and a historical hell.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Van Dyke’s girlfriend suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the ordeal, according to authorities.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
17 Feb. 2026
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Jackson said little publicly about his son’s wrongdoing, other than describing the ordeal as a difficult, trying time for the family and requesting prayers.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purgatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgatory. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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