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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Sergeant Eshel and the others on duty died in the inferno.—
Isabel Kershner,
New York Times,
25 Jan. 2025
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With his wife trapped in the inferno, the protagonist must navigate competing priorities between saving lives and preventing a terrorist attack.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
18 Mar. 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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What begins as an ordinary parental milestone descends into a nightmare as a cross-border search unfolds.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
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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His experiences at Fuchu Prison left him with frostbite, screaming in agony, after being exposed to sub-zero temperatures during 20 days in solitary confinement.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
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What began as a blissful afternoon in the Florida sun ended in agony when a Jeep Wrangler suddenly barreled over a man lying on the beach, police said.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
9 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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Homewood’s location on the western shore of Lake Tahoe is both a blessing and a curse.—
Megan Michelson,
Outside Online,
4 Apr. 2025
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The annual cost-of-living adjustment Social Security recipients receive is both a blessing and a curse.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Immigrant women describe 'hell on earth' in ICE detention The Trump administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2025
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Despite being perpetually stuck in cap hell, the New Orleans Saints have had a relatively productive offseason.—
Arick Wierson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The ordeal unraveled at Moore’s spa grand opening attended by RHOA cast members Porsha Williams, Cynthia Bailey, Drew Sidora, Shamea Morton Mwangi, Eady, Kelli Ferrell, and Angela Oakley, per USA Today.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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Tavares-Abel plans to use stop motion animation to tell the story of her ancestor’s migration ordeal.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Purgatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgatory. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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