1. in Catholic belief, a state after death where souls are purified before entering heaven
Usage: religious
2. a situation or place of temporary suffering or misery

Examples

• Catholics believe souls in purgatory are being prepared for heaven.
• The doctrine of purgatory teaches that prayers can help the deceased.
• Waiting in the airport for twelve hours was absolute purgatory.
• The long recovery period felt like purgatory to the injured athlete.
• She described her difficult job as a kind of purgatory.
• The traffic jam turned the commute into purgatory.