purgatory

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: pur=ga=to=ry

CIDE DICTIONARY

purgatory, a. [L. purgatorius.].

 Tending to cleanse; cleansing; expiatory.  Burke.  [1913 Webster]

purgatory, n. [Cf. F. purgatoire.].

 A state or place of purification after death; according to the Roman Catholic creed, a place, or a state believed to exist after death, in which the souls of persons are purified by expiating such offenses committed in this life as do not merit eternal damnation, or in which they fully satisfy the justice of God for sins that have been forgiven. After this purgation from the impurities of sin, the souls are believed to be received into heaven.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

purgatory, n. & adj.
--n. (pl. -ies)
1 the condition or supposed place of spiritual cleansing, esp. (RC Ch.) of those dying in the grace of God but having to expiate venial sins etc.
2 a place or state of temporary suffering or expiation.
--adj. purifying.

Derivative

purgatorial adj.

Etymology

ME f. AF purgatorie, OF -oire f. med.L purgatorium, neut. of LL purgatorius (as PURGE)

THESAURUS

purgatory

Abaddon, Day of Atonement, Gehenna, Hades, Naraka, Pandemonium, Sheol, Tophet, Yom Kippur, asceticism, avichi, bog, cage, clawing, cold purgatorial fires, coop, cruciation, crucifixion, enclosure, fasting, fen, flagellation, hair shirt, hell, hell upon earth, holocaust, horror, infernal regions, inferno, jahannan, laceration, lancination, limbo, lower world, lustration, maceration, marsh, martyrdom, mire, morass, mortification, nether world, nightmare, passion, pen, penance, penfold, penitence, penitential act, penitential exercise, perdition, persecution, pinfold, place of confinement, place of torment, pound, purgation, quag, quagmire, rack, repentance, sackcloth and ashes, shades below, slough, sump, the abyss, the bottomless pit, the grave, the pit, torment, torture, underworld

ROGET THESAURUS

purgatory

Pain

N mental suffering, pain, dolor, suffering, sufferance, ache, smart, passion, displeasure, dissatisfaction, discomfort, discomposure, disquiet, malaise, inquietude, uneasiness, vexation of spirit, taking, discontent, dejection, weariness, anhedonia, annoyance, irritation, worry, infliction, visitation, plague, bore, bother, botheration, stew, vexation, mortification, chagrin, esclandre, mauvais quart d'heur, care, anxiety, solicitude, trouble, trial, ordeal, fiery ordeal, shock, blow, cark, dole, fret, burden, load, concern, grief, sorrow, distress, affliction, woe, bitterness, heartache, carking cares, heavy heart, aching heart, bleeding heart, broken heart, heavy affliction, gnawing grief, unhappiness, infelicity, misery, tribulation, wretchedness, desolation, despair, extremity, prostration, depth of misery, nightmare, ephialtes, incubus, pang, anguish, agony, torture, torment, purgatory, hell upon earth, iron age, reign of terror, slough of despond, peck of troubles, ills that flesh is heir to, miseries of human life, unkindest cut of all, sufferer, victim, prey, martyr, object of compassion, wretch, shorn lamb, in pain, in a state of pain, full of pain, suffering, pained, afflicted, worried, displeased, aching, griped, sore, on the rack, in limbo, between hawk and buzzard, uncomfortable, uneasy, ill at ease, in a taking, in a way, disturbed, discontented, out of humor, weary, heavy laden, stricken, crushed, a prey to, victimized, ill-used, unfortunate, to be pitied, doomed, devoted, accursed, undone, lost, stranded, fey, unhappy, infelicitous, poor, wretched, miserable, woe-begone, cheerless, careworn, concerned, sorry, sorrowing, sorrowful, cut up, chagrined, horrified, horror-stricken, in grief, plunged in grief, a prey to grief, in tears, steeped to the lips in misery, heart-stricken, heart-broken, heart-scalded, broken-hearted, in despair, the iron entered into our soul, haeret lateri lethalis arundo, one's heart bleeding, down, thou climbing sorrow, mirth cannot move a soul in agony, nessun maggior dolere che ricordarsi del tempo fel, sorrow's crown of sorrow is remembering happier th, the Niobe of Nations.

Hell

N hell, bottomless pit, place of torment, habitation of fallen angels, Pandemonium, Abaddon, Domdaniel, jahannan, sheol, hell fire, everlasting fire, everlasting torment, eternal damnation, lake of fire and brimstone, fire that is never quenched, worm that never dies, purgatory, limbo, gehenna, abyss, Tartarus, Hades, Avernus, Styx, Stygian creek, pit of Acheron, Cocytus, infernal regions, inferno, shades below, realms of Pluto, Pluto, Rhadamanthus, Erebus, Tophet, hellish, infernal, stygian, dies irae dies illa, the hue of dungeons and the scowl of night.

Atonement

N atonement, reparation, compromise, composition, compensation, quittance, quits, expiation, redemption, reclamation, conciliation, propitiation, indemnification, redress, amends, apology, amende honorable, satisfaction, peace offering, sin offering, burnt offering, scapegoat, sacrifice, penance, fasting, maceration, sackcloth and ashes, white sheet, shrift, flagellation, lustration, purgation, purgatory.