purgatory

noun

Definition of purgatorynext
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

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.
Recent Examples of purgatory After spending the past few seasons in rebuilding purgatory, the Utah Jazz are poised to get back into the NBA playoff mix in 2026-27. — Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026 It was created by Congress, in 1990, to protect undocumented kids who ended up in the child-welfare system from being deported or getting stuck in a parentless purgatory. — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 20 June 2026 As a passenger, what happens at one is not real life, but instead a purgatory between Here and There. — Bobby Finger june 16, Literary Hub, 16 June 2026 Because the road into Hunt was unpassable, the Childresses were forced into a monstrous kind of purgatory among other terrified parents at Ingram Elementary School. — Karen Valby, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for purgatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purgatory
  1. inferno
  2. nightmare
  3. netherworld
  4. agony
  5. underworld
  6. curse
  7. hell
  8. ordeal
Noun
  • The infernos destroyed buildings and forests alike, where the epic heat wave in Europe has hit record levels in many parts of the bloc.
    — Simon Constable, FOXNews.com, 19 July 2026
  • Through the engine’s windows, the towering inferno can be seen raging through the treeline just a few feet away from the unmoving train, the world around them rendered completely orange.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 15 July 2026
Definition of inferno
Noun
  • Once contracted, the parasite basically results in a bathroom nightmare.
    — Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • Elite hands, strong and a schematic nightmare for defensive coordinators.
    — Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 15 July 2026
Definition of nightmare
Noun
  • Alistair Taylor’s reward for accompanying him into this teenage netherworld was to be given lunch at his current favorite city-center restaurant, the Peacock.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2026
  • The rules of this netherworld announce themselves, early on, via a nondescript wall sign.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2026
Definition of netherworld
Noun
  • Negron shared her agony over losing her brother on social media.
    — Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 18 July 2026
  • Sadly, in discouraging all the phantom agonies, FIFA inadvertently seems to have done away with the equally farcical phenomenon that is Magic Spray®.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of agony
Noun
  • Mafia romances are especially popular, delving into the gritty underworld of organized crime.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 18 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of underworld
Noun
  • This caveat could be a blessing and a curse, warned Sridhar Tayur, a professor of operations management at Carnegie Mellon University.
    — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 19 July 2026
  • However, the one who came up with it happened to be the first baseman from the 2016 curse-breaking Cubs.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of curse
Noun
  • In Harrenhal, Aemond is plagued by nightmares of his (not) dead brother dragging him to hell.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 20 July 2026
  • After being a key to the victory of the Trojan War, Greek hero Odysseus (Matt Damon) goes to hell and back trying to get home to his wife (Anne Hathaway) and son (Tom Holland) in Nolan's brutal yet introspective adaptation of Homer's epic poem.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 17 July 2026
Definition of hell
Noun
  • Two other roommates in the house at the time survived the ordeal.
    — Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026
  • Spieth immediately went to Kuchar, explaining the entire ordeal.
    — Brody Miller, New York Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of ordeal

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Cite this Entry

“Purgatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgatory. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on purgatory

Nglish: Translation of purgatory for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about purgatory

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