Purgatorial: meaning, definitions and examples

feeling or relating to intense suffering or punishment

Purgatorial refers to the state of being in or resembling purgatory, a place or state of temporary punishment or purification. It is often associated with anguish, torment, or agony.

agonizing, excruciating, torturous

Examples of usage

• The purgatorial flames burned fiercely, consuming all traces of sin.

• She felt trapped in a purgatorial cycle of guilt and self-blame.

• The character's purgatorial journey through the wilderness symbolized his inner turmoil.

• The book described a purgatorial experience of endless waiting and uncertainty.

• His purgatorial existence in the war zone haunted him for the rest of his life.