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 His visits to his son’s tomb are accompanied by ghosts stuck in the bardo, or purgatory, who tell their own life stories and encourage both Willie and the President to move on. — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026 The band hovers in a razor-thin lacuna between heaven and hell, between ascension and purgatory, on the verge of going either way. — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026 Kamala Harris, who was saved from political purgatory when Joe Biden chose her as his running mate, came closest — though not close — in 2024. — Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 Democrats must decide whether to take the deal in front of them or, possibly with a congressional majority next year, craft a version more to their liking that may be met with staunch GOP opposition and, thus, gridlock purgatory yet again. — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 11 Oct. 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 chips were made from trees killed in the 2020 Castle fire, an inferno that left thousands of acres of standing dead trunks.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
  • In 1994, a raging inferno erupted at a home in the Flores neighborhood of Buenos Aires.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of inferno
Noun
  • Yes, but this doesn’t save a business from the compliance nightmare.
    — Daniel Kjellén, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • At the dawn of the twentieth century, fears of food scarcity were a rational nightmare.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of nightmare
Noun
  • And with most of the original cast now long gone, the latest sequel often feels as cursed as that treacherous netherworld.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The Further, in other words, doesn’t just have to be a foggy, dim netherworld.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of netherworld
Noun
  • The prisoner in question, Doug Korpi, had also admitted that his agony was an act to journalist Ben Blum, who included the revelation in a broader takedown of the experiment published in 2018.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The daughters of burning witches were sometimes made to stand close to the pyre, being whipped by locals while watching their mothers die in agony.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of agony
Noun
  • Dementia related to untreated syphilis left him incapable of resuming his position atop the country’s criminal underworld.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The show revolved around Crockett and Tubbs, two undercover detectives infiltrating South Florida’s criminal underworld.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of underworld
Noun
  • But while social media debates on whether a Glee-boot is a blessing or a curse, the former cast is dusting off their sequin hats.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Embedding nature in the wider business The breadth of nature is a blessing and a curse.
    — Bella Webb, Vogue, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of curse
Noun
  • The careerist has also made life hell for Erika and her family.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Time is running out for a Republican Party led astray by a president whose treacherous behavior mimics those assigned to the lowest level of Dante’s hell.
    — Bob Kustra, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of hell
Noun
  • During the ordeal, Del Mar started a group called Fathers Helping Fathers, which advocated for unwed or divorced fathers seeking legal advice on custody.
    — Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The strikes in Riyadh have killed at least 13 people and wounded hundreds — some of the survivors were allowed to speak about their ordeal to Saudi state TV over the weekend.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 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 29 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on purgatory

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about purgatory

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