Synonyms for limbo

Most common

hell · abyss · oblivion · purgatory · pawn

All synonyms

Noun

Definitions

1. n. 1

   A speculative place or state, thought possibly to be on the edge of the bottomless pit of Hell, where the souls of innocent deceased people might exist temporarily until they can enter heaven, specifically those of the saints who died before the advent of Jesus Christ (who occupy the limbo patrum or limbo of the patriarchs or fathers) and those of unbaptized infants (who occupy the limbo infantum

Related words

Phrases

development limbo gumbo limbo

Forms

Plural

limbos → purgatories, hells, abysses, oblivions…

Example sentences

• hell I'd rather live in hell than in the United States.
• abyss One step further, and you will fall into an abyss.
• oblivion This cooking technique has passed into oblivion.
• purgatory There is no hell or heaven, we are in the purgatory already.
• pawn Yanni and Skura were using their child as a pawn.

Popularity over time

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters

hell¹, pawn¹

5 letters

abyss²

8 letters

oblivion⁴

9 letters

purgatory⁴

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (abyss² = 2 syllables).