limbo

¹ American  

[lim-boh] / ˈlɪm boʊ /

noun

plural

limbos

1. (often initial capital letter) a region on the border of hell or heaven, serving as the abode after death of unbaptized infants limbo of infants and of the righteous who died before the coming of Christ limbo of the fathers, or limbo of the patriarchs.

2. a place or state of oblivion to which persons or things are regarded as being relegated when cast aside, forgotten, past, or out of date.

   My youthful hopes are in the limbo of lost dreams.

3. an intermediate, transitional, or midway state or place.

4. a place or state of imprisonment or confinement.

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limbo ² American  

[lim-boh] / ˈlɪm boʊ /

noun

plural

limbos

1. a dance from the West Indies, originally for men only, in which the dancer bends backward from the knees and moves with a shuffling step under a horizontal bar that is lowered after each successive pass.

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limbo ¹ British  

/ ˈlɪmbəʊ /

noun

1. (often capital) RC Church the supposed abode of infants dying without baptism and the just who died before Christ

2. an imaginary place for lost, forgotten, or unwanted persons or things

3. an unknown intermediate place or condition between two extremes

   in limbo

4. a prison or confinement

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limbo ² British  

/ ˈlɪmbəʊ /

noun

1. a Caribbean dance in which dancers pass, while leaning backwards, under a bar

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limbo Cultural  

1. In the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church regarding the afterlife, the condition of innocent persons who die without benefit of baptism; those in limbo do not suffer damnation, but they do not enjoy the presence of God. Limbo means “a bordering place.”

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limbo Idioms  

1. see in limbo.

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Discover More

Figuratively, “limbo” is a state of nonresolution or uncertainty: “Until he receives notice of his new posting, he'll be in limbo.”

Etymology

Origin of limbo¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Medieval Latin phrase in limbō “on hell's border” ( Latin: “on the edge”), from Latin in “in, on” + limbō, ablative of limbus “edge, border”

Origin of limbo²

First recorded in 1955–60; of disputed origin; perhaps compare Jamaican English limba “to bend; easily bending”; limber ¹

Example Sentences

Willy’s world never comes into being onstage, and the rest of the cast seems to wander in the limbo that’s left behind.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Quins' limbo down the league is perhaps the price worth paying for taking the time needed to get the person with the ability to turn the tanker around.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Until that cash comes out of the shadows, China’s economic recovery, and a big chunk of global corporate growth tied to it, will remain stuck in limbo.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026

As long as the war continues, he remains in limbo.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

We spent the rest of the day in limbo, waiting, not knowing, pacing around the hospital, family members stopping by.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

Related Words

• oblivion