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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 Kohl’s decided in 2016 to close one of its big box stores in Roswell, but no one knew the building’s fate would be stuck in purgatory for the next decade. — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 31 Aug. 2026 Drowning in decks Outside of pilot purgatory, there’s the drowning-in-decks issue. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026 Or will the market put it back in purgatory because people believe that Claude can do everybody's taxes? — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026 Billions of dollars later, most organizations got pilot purgatory instead. — Richard Clough, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 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
  • Four cars and two storage containers were damaged by the inferno, the fire department said.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of inferno
Noun
  • The exhibition puts designer Pierre-Olivier Persin’s bust of the creature alongside the syringes, vials and other medical paraphernalia from the mysterious Substance kit that sets the movie’s nightmare in motion.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Watching a cheesy sitcom opening turn into a bloody field day for a time-traveling serial killer or unedited footage of a bear turn into a pharmaceutical nightmare is the ultimate expression of that unapologetic commitment to keeping us on our toes.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Sep. 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
  • When John reveals the Halogram to Kerry (after fair warning), the look on her face is a mix of shock and agony.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Burns, 28, dropped to the ground in agony on his 25th snap of the Giants’ narrow 12-7 win over the Tennessee Titans.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of agony
Noun
  • Created by Ronan Bennett, the Paramount+ series follows the warring Harrigan and Stevenson families, whose long-running feud threatens to upend London’s criminal underworld.
    — Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
  • When his brother pleads for help, Tariq is pulled back into the London criminal underworld and the dangerous orbit of their crime boss mother.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of underworld
Noun
  • Depp’s character pleads for help to save her husband from his curse.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2026
  • But maybe, Atlanta native and Midtown resident John Henry Hinkel suggested, Hollywood’s departure is more a blessing than a curse.
    — Felicia Feaster, AJC.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of curse
Noun
  • The swarm of hell shall breathe up from the furnace that warms it, and over which Satan himself shall preside.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Queenie also visits her personal hell and the fates of LaLaurie and Laveau.
    — Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of hell
Noun
  • The ordeal began when 56-year-old Hawkins placed a mattress against the door of the home to prevent the woman from leaving, officials said.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The ordeal began Sunday after authorities said Spencer threatened people with a gun, rammed a sheriff’s patrol vehicle and fled into the forest.
    — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of ordeal

Browse Nearby Words

purgatories
purgatory
purge
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Cite this Entry

“Purgatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgatory. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on purgatory

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about purgatory

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