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 stock remains in break-up purgatory as investors wait for the company’s electronics division to be formally spun off.
—
Kevin Stankiewicz,morgan Chittum, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2025
They’re both murdered, but Eric ends up in purgatory, where a spirit guide explains a titular bird took pity on his tragedy, giving him the chance to return from the dead, kill his assailant, and be reunited with Zadie.
—Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 17 Dec. 2024
The film’s ghostly images are at once flattened and alive, hovering in visual purgatory as scenes begin to feel not only like fever dreams, but out-of-body observations of the dreamers themselves.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
His case file shows the seemingly-hopeless cycle whenever Perkins has grown closer to a potential end to his purgatory.
—Kallie Cox, Charlotte Observer, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for purgatory
Kevin Stankiewicz,morgan Chittum, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2025
They’re both murdered, but Eric ends up in purgatory, where a spirit guide explains a titular bird took pity on his tragedy, giving him the chance to return from the dead, kill his assailant, and be reunited with Zadie.
—Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 17 Dec. 2024
The film’s ghostly images are at once flattened and alive, hovering in visual purgatory as scenes begin to feel not only like fever dreams, but out-of-body observations of the dreamers themselves.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
His case file shows the seemingly-hopeless cycle whenever Perkins has grown closer to a potential end to his purgatory.
—Kallie Cox, Charlotte Observer, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for purgatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purgatory
Noun
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The inferno that raged across the Palisades on Jan. 7 took thousands of homes and several lives.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Feb. 2025
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Despite tens of billions of dollars spent so far in California alone to reduce the risk of electric ignition, last month's infernos suggest that much more needs to be done to make sure the electric grid does not contribute to more tragedy.—
Jeff Young,
Newsweek,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The 1974 Best Picture Award Was Interrupted by an Onstage Streaker While most people have nightmares about being naked onstage in front of a massive group of people, 33-year-old Robert Opel did it voluntarily… during the most anticipated moment of Hollywood’s biggest night!—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
2 Mar. 2025
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The Los Angeles fires turned the crisis into a nightmare as State Farm asked Lara for permission to raise insurance premiums by an average of 22%.—
Emily Hallas,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
1 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Great vacations exist in a temporal netherworld, unmoored from the reality of daily life.—
Sofia Perez,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Jan. 2025
-
The same netherworld where Julien enjoyed torturing Cortland during his statue days.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
26 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Challenges of rebuilding Victims who lost homes will be faced with the decision whether to rebuild — which can be agony.—
Tony Saavedra,
Orange County Register,
24 Feb. 2025
-
Then, Cara’s killshot was followed by her screams of agony at her dire circumstances.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
23 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Inch-high avatars stand to scale in lush 3D sets of magical forests, hellish underworlds, even high schools.—
Eric Francisco,
Rolling Stone,
1 Mar. 2025
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Then some of his young students are kidnapped by child traffickers and Alex descends into the criminal underworld; nothing can prepare you for the bananas final 45 minutes as Foster lays waste to the siege of villains in his dojo.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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As the phenomena intensify, Skye realizes she may have been marked by the same curse that claimed so many lives before her.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
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Episode 5 - Le Curse of Leclerc: Charles Leclerc breaks the Monaco curse in this episode by winning the Grand Prix and explaining the emotional importance of the feat.—
Tommy Tuberville,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The Good Place aired on NBC for four seasons starting in 2016 and featured myriad twists and turns, principally with what the stars thought to be heaven turning out to be hell.—
Dana Rose Falcone,
People.com,
24 Feb. 2025
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Players are corporate workers in what is basically hell.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Regardless, Sumner said, responding to an outbreak is an expensive ordeal for a dairy farm.—
Annika Merrilees,
Sacramento Bee,
7 Mar. 2025
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Former Vice President Mike Pence, speaking in Hong Kong in January, called on Beijing to end Lai’s ordeal.—
Reuters,
NBC News,
6 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Purgatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgatory. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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