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
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Recent Examples of purgatory
This was the Burnett that gained a kind of cult fame, the filmmaker in middle age, treading purgatory.
—
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
More than two hours of looking at the fey-preppy outfit costume designer Sara Ryung Clement prepared for Horowitz’s Josh becomes a kind of fashion purgatory for audience and protagonist alike.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
For some, Martin’s legacy will prompt assessments of playoff droughts and lottery purgatory, and that’s fine and fair.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 2025
Note: Some shows are in a sort of weird purgatory between media blackout and availability, like WKRP in Cincinnati; only the first season is available — for digital purchase — through Apple TV.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for purgatory
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
More than two hours of looking at the fey-preppy outfit costume designer Sara Ryung Clement prepared for Horowitz’s Josh becomes a kind of fashion purgatory for audience and protagonist alike.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
For some, Martin’s legacy will prompt assessments of playoff droughts and lottery purgatory, and that’s fine and fair.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 2025
Note: Some shows are in a sort of weird purgatory between media blackout and availability, like WKRP in Cincinnati; only the first season is available — for digital purchase — through Apple TV.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for purgatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purgatory
Noun
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The issue was brought to his attention by reporting from The Bee and other news outlets highlighting a stark difference between state and federal law concerning who can be licensed to work with high-grade explosives like those that sparked an inferno in Esparto on July 1.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
17 July 2025
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Edison International Chief Executive Pedro Pizarro told The Times in April that evidence including videos and data from the lines suggests the possibility that the idle equipment was reenergized through a phenomenon called induction and sparked the inferno.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
On top of the bathroom problems, the man says the kitchen is also a nightmare thanks to Jerry and Daisy, who leave dirty dishes around.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
27 July 2025
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Even with my healthcare connections, advocating for her as a patient was a nightmare.—
Zoya Hasan,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
The twin netherworlds—named after the mythical Greek god of the underworld and the pilot who shuttled souls across the river Styx—circle more than five billion kilometers distant from the sun, along an orbit that Stern’s Pluto expedition took nine years to reach.—
Kevin Holden Platt,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2025
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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
Noun
-
The point isn’t just to resolve in-the-moment agony.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
16 July 2025
-
Jamal Musiala was writhing in agony, but what really hit hard was the way players on both teams were reacting to the Bayern Munich forward’s injury.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
6 July 2025
Noun
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Critics, among them Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s victims, have claimed Maxwell’s father held ties to the Mossad, arguing that Epstein was involved in a shadowy underworld connected to an intelligence apparatus.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
22 July 2025
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Pulp Fiction, about two hitmen — portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta — and how their exploits intersect with the lives of a cast of characters existing in the criminal underworld of Los Angeles, also stars Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Christopher Walken and Harvey Keitel.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
20 July 2025
Noun
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Perfection is a blessing and a curse for Virgo parents.—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
15 July 2025
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Also, the fact that Ken gets cursed by a crazy old ghost actually helps Momo in her alien abduction predicament, with Momo’s newfound spiritual abilities helping to curb Ken’s curse.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
Noun
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The supervillain reveals it to the world, turning the public against Superman and making Supes’ life hell, including kidnapping his dog Krypto.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
13 July 2025
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But this place is something of a personal hell; Harper entered Monday with a lower OPS here than in any other National League ballpark.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
Noun
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One reported attendee live-tweeted the entire ordeal and claimed Ye started the show over 45 minutes late.—
Mya Abraham,
VIBE.com,
14 July 2025
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Taissa Farmiga, who plays Gladys, graciously spoke with The Hollywood Reporter and answered several questions regarding her beloved character’s state of mind throughout this especially harrowing ordeal.—
Ronda Racha Penrice,
HollywoodReporter,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Purgatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgatory. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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