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
The field is increasingly engulfed in darkness, and—with the score tied—the players must choose between the reckless absurdity of playing a night game without lights and the eternal purgatory of leaving the final contest unresolved.
—
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2025
Even before the catastrophic fires inflicted billions in damage, as well as the tragic loss of life, California was drifting toward demographic purgatory – not quite hell, but certainly not the direction that a vibrant state should be headed.
—Jon Coupal, Orange County Register, 3 Feb. 2025
Our assessment of the Mountain West is similar to our view of the Pac-12 during its months of purgatory after the Los Angeles schools departed: A media rights deal is more likely than not but hardly guaranteed.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2025
The Rockies, meanwhile, remain trapped in baseball purgatory as a meat packer’s toy, building a home team for Phillies red and Cubbies blue to pound senseless while Denver’s transplants toast $3 drafts.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for purgatory
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2025
Even before the catastrophic fires inflicted billions in damage, as well as the tragic loss of life, California was drifting toward demographic purgatory – not quite hell, but certainly not the direction that a vibrant state should be headed.
—Jon Coupal, Orange County Register, 3 Feb. 2025
Our assessment of the Mountain West is similar to our view of the Pac-12 during its months of purgatory after the Los Angeles schools departed: A media rights deal is more likely than not but hardly guaranteed.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2025
The Rockies, meanwhile, remain trapped in baseball purgatory as a meat packer’s toy, building a home team for Phillies red and Cubbies blue to pound senseless while Denver’s transplants toast $3 drafts.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for purgatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purgatory
Noun
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The documentary captures a sheriff’s deputy reminiscing about her car slowing in the middle of an inferno as her tires melted.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2025
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In between those stretches, Minnesota was a blazing inferno, hitting 20 of 35 attempts from beyond the arc to blitz the Lakers in Game 1.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
20 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Package delivery and unpaid toll texts have taken most of the headlines, but an even worse threat is proving a nightmare for phone users.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
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Eraserhead Year: 1977 Runtime: 1h 29m Director: David Lynch One of the most polarizing filmmakers of all time made an impact from his debut film, this surreal nightmare that was released in arthouses back in 1977 and was an instant hit in major cities.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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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
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But the film comes into its own at almost exactly an hour, as The Man begins the ritual and The Surrender threatens to go full occult gonzo, complete with a charmed circle and a bleak netherworld resembling Lucio Fulci’s 1981 splatter epic The Beyond.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
9 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Ellie is stricken with agony, her reaction almost feral.—
Noel Murray,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
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The agony of not knowing was heartbreakingly illustrated by the plight of Oscar Johnson, of St. Charles.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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When Israeli legislators complained that Lansky probably planned to consort with the local underworld, the government changed its mind and rejected his application.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2025
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This mafia underworld has long been hidden, and Mafia: Most Wanted is about to change that.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
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After turning undead and hiding her bite wound, Mary easily gets permission to re-enter the building, and quickly seduces Stack, before murdering him and infecting him with the vampire curse.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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Maybe that’s more blessing than curse in our age of baldly allegorical horror movies.—
A.A. Dowd,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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It’s said that during the festival, the gates of hell open and ghosts visit earth.—
Gabino Iglesias,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
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That a hell ant lived before that in what’s now Brazil means ants were already widely distributed across the planet at an early point in their evolution, the study authors noted.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Four other individuals hid in a storage closet throughout the ordeal.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
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The five-hour ordeal ended after the hostage fled while retrieving water, prompting Akkad to chase him into the street, where he was hit by a police car.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Purgatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgatory. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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