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
Unfortunately for Israel’s political leadership, none of this occurred in the lead-up to the October 7 attack; threats about a Hamas build-up along the Israel-Gaza border were discarded, and political resolutions to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute were left in purgatory.
—
Newsweek Contributors, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders is currently in quarterback purgatory with the Cleveland Browns.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for purgatory
Newsweek Contributors, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders is currently in quarterback purgatory with the Cleveland Browns.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for purgatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purgatory
Noun
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Spoelstra was remarkably upbeat before the game, offering gratitude for the outpouring of support from the NBA community and expressing relief that nobody was injured in the inferno.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
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After it was revealed that Vince didn't make it out of the inferno, his son Bode (Max Thieriot) and wife Sharon (Diane Farr) were devastated by the loss.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 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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Following months of agony and fundraising, Abeba was eventually able to send enough money to pay for her brother Daniel’s release.—
Mick Krever,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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Near those boundaries, microscopic changes in pace or line flip the result, explaining why near-identical putts can alternate between agony and ecstasy.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The Asset wastes no time dropping viewers into its dangerous underworld.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
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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
Noun
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Her goal helped the club secure its first berth in the NWSL playoffs, snapping a ninth-place curse that had haunted the team since its debut in 2021.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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So begins a rollicking tale of superstition, a family curse and second chances.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The Shea Moisture Define & Shine Edge Gel slicks my edges back without snatching them to hell.—
Kayla Greaves,
Essence,
6 Nov. 2025
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That's hell for a kid to see that.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Ultimately, the hotel did not profit from the ordeal after compensation was eventually given to those affected, investigators found.—
Ryan Cormier,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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Fatal Attraction — about a married man (Michael Douglas) whose one-night affair with a woman (Close) turns into a dangerous ordeal — earned six Oscar nominations upon its initial release, including one for Close's performance and another for Best Picture.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Purgatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgatory. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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