PURGATORY Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

purgatory

noun

Definition of purgatory

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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Dissimilar Words

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 Billions of dollars later, most organizations got pilot purgatory instead. — Richard Clough, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 That sense of purgatory is the saving grace of an otherwise painful watch. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2026 Bad cops are not being fired, and good cops who may be wrongfully accused are stuck in professional purgatory. — Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026 The Heat has not been on top since then, and, after four straight seasons in play-in purgatory, counted on James’ return to help end that drought. — Miami Herald, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for purgatory

Recent Examples of Synonyms for purgatory

Noun

The crew use three tiers of flame bars behind Howell to spark the inferno that will snake through prom, fueled by the growing intensity of Carrie’s powers.

— Entertainment Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2026
An arson suspect’s rallying cry sparks furor A 30-year-old forklift driver is accused of livestreaming the massive Kimberly-Clark warehouse blaze in Ontario, turning a $500-million toilet paper inferno into a viral protest over wages and capitalism.

— Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of inferno

Noun

There are few harsher agonies than waiting, and throughout the great expanse of the CPKC ‘International’ Grand Prix presented by Rolex at the Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’, two riders felt that in very different ways.

— Tilly Berendt, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
But for Roma, the agony for his missing son did not end that day.

— Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of agony

Noun

That has created an increasingly violent underworld of gangs.

— ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
The unlicensed recovery center underworld ranges from places that pamper patients with space and very personal care by licensed medical professionals to places that cram patients into spaces minded by people with limited or no medical training.

— DAVID J. NEAL, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of underworld

Noun

The sequel takes place 25 years after the original 1998 cult classic movie, as the sisters try to break their family curse along with Sally’s daughters Kylie (Joey King) and Antonio (Maisie Williams).

— Jordan Moreau, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
Sally and Gillian come from a long line of witches and have lived in a resplendent Massachusetts home with their aunts Frances (Stockard Channing) and Jet (Dianne Wiest) ever since a curse struck down their father and led to their mother’s suicide.

— Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of curse

Noun

Thompson, then 23, and Rocco James Surace, then 30, beat Ivester with chains, burned her with cigarettes and assaulted her with a chair leg during the horrific ordeal inside the Sunny Isles Motel, 16375 Biscayne Blvd.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026
Despite the ordeal, Wiffen can’t wait to get back in the sky.

— Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of ordeal

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purgatories

purgatory

purge

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Style

“Purgatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgatory. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of purgatory

noun

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