purgatory

noun

pur·ga·to·ry ˈpər-gə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce purgatory (audio)

plural purgatories

: an intermediate state after death for expiatory purification

specifically : a place or state of punishment wherein according to Roman Catholic doctrine the souls of those who die in God's grace may make satisfaction for past sins and so become fit for heaven

: a place or state of temporary suffering or misery

Example Sentences

the purgatory of drug abuse The marathons were jokingly referred to as one-day purgatories.

Recent Examples on the Web It has been rumored to activate earthquakes, and to hold human souls in a sort of northern purgatory.

Ned Rozell, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Sep. 2022 The aforementioned purgatory isn’t just being caught in the middle, it’s being caught in the middle with suddenly empty pockets, limiting flexibility for future moves.

Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 Sep. 2022 The Patriots, meanwhile, got the right guy on their first try, with just one season of QB purgatory after Brady left.

Chad Finn, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Aug. 2022 But being stuck in a tiny hotel room for most of a year has verged on purgatory.

Emma Batha, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Aug. 2022 For the time being, Scheherazade and other Øino creations under detention across Europe have entered a strange legal purgatory.

Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 18 July 2022 Bill only went as far away as his own pundit purgatory, a podcast at BillOreilly.com, to continue his bloviations.

Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2022 Those gold coins spread over the South American seabed remind me of all of those bitcoins that have gone to crypto-heaven, or perhaps crypto-purgatory, because the relevant private keys have been lost.

David G.w. Birch, Forbes, 12 June 2022 For so long, Stafford had been sentenced to suffer in football purgatory, a place where time keeps passing and the losses keep piling up.

Jared Diamond, WSJ, 31 Jan. 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French or Medieval Latin; Anglo-French purgatorie, from Medieval Latin purgatorium, from Late Latin, neuter of purgatorius purging, from Latin purgare

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

单词	purgatory
释义	purgatory noun pur·ga·to·ry ˈpər-gə-ˌtȯr-ē plural purgatories 1 : an intermediate state after death for expiatory purification specifically : a place or state of punishment wherein according to Roman Catholic doctrine the souls of those who die in God's grace may make satisfaction for past sins and so become fit for heaven 2 : a place or state of temporary suffering or misery Did you know? Purgatory is the place where the soul is cleansed of all impurities, as Dante described in his great poem The Divine Comedy. Today purgatory can refer to any place or situation in which suffering and misery are felt to be sharp but temporary. Waiting to hear the results of a test, or whether you got a good job, can be a purgatory. And an endless after-dinner speech can make an entire roomful of people feel as if they're in purgatory. Example Sentences the purgatory of drug abuse The marathons were jokingly referred to as one-day purgatories. Recent Examples on the Web It has been rumored to activate earthquakes, and to hold human souls in a sort of northern purgatory. Ned Rozell, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Sep. 2022 The aforementioned purgatory isn’t just being caught in the middle, it’s being caught in the middle with suddenly empty pockets, limiting flexibility for future moves. Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 Sep. 2022 The Patriots, meanwhile, got the right guy on their first try, with just one season of QB purgatory after Brady left. Chad Finn, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Aug. 2022 But being stuck in a tiny hotel room for most of a year has verged on purgatory. Emma Batha, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Aug. 2022 For the time being, Scheherazade and other Øino creations under detention across Europe have entered a strange legal purgatory. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 18 July 2022 Bill only went as far away as his own pundit purgatory, a podcast at BillOreilly.com, to continue his bloviations. Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2022 Those gold coins spread over the South American seabed remind me of all of those bitcoins that have gone to crypto-heaven, or perhaps crypto-purgatory, because the relevant private keys have been lost. David G.w. Birch, Forbes, 12 June 2022 For so long, Stafford had been sentenced to suffer in football purgatory, a place where time keeps passing and the losses keep piling up. Jared Diamond, WSJ, 31 Jan. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Middle English, from Anglo-French or Medieval Latin; Anglo-French purgatorie, from Medieval Latin purgatorium, from Late Latin, neuter of purgatorius purging, from Latin purgare First Known Use 13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 purgatory noun 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. Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance inferno netherworld underworld hell hades abyss pit hellfire Tartarus blazes perdition shades Sheol fire and brimstone Pandemonium Gehenna Tophet Antonyms & Near Antonyms nirvana glory promised land heaven paradise bliss empyrean sky Valhalla elysian fields kingdom come happy hunting ground New Jerusalem Elysium Sion Zion See More 2 as in nightmare a place or state of temporary suffering We found ourselves trapped in the purgatory of a rush-hour traffic jam. Synonyms & Similar Words nightmare agony ordeal curse hell misery horror cross tribulation torment torture calvary murder calamity trial misfortune affliction Gehenna tragedy thorn downer gall bummer drag Antonyms & Near Antonyms joy pleasure recreation entertainment diversion fun heaven delight riot picnic paradise lark See More
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purgatory

noun

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Example Sentences

Word History

noun