Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun purgatory

2 senses of purgatory

Sense 1
purgatory -- (a temporary condition of torment or suffering; "a purgatory of drug abuse")
       => situation -- (a complex or critical or unusual difficulty; "the dangerous situation developed suddenly"; "that's quite a situation"; "no human situation is simple")

Sense 2
purgatory -- ((theology) in Roman Catholic theology the place where those who have died in a state of grace undergo limited torment to expiate their sins)
       => imaginary place, mythical place, fictitious place -- (a place that exists only in imagination; a place said to exist in fictional or religious writings)