in limbo

Idioms

In a condition of oblivion or neglect, as in They kept her application in limbo for months . [Early 1600s]
An intermediate or transitional state, as in After his editor left the firm, his book was in limbo . [Early 1600s] Both usages allude to the theological meaning of limbo , that is, a place outside hell and heaven to which unbaptized infants and the righteous who died before Christ's coming were traditionally consigned.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "No one who dedicates themselves to a career in midwifery should be left in limbo when their skills are so urgently needed to rebuild the NHS."

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

Yet the prevailing feeling in the Pakistani capital is that it is a city stuck in limbo.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

With living costs rising and jobs harder to find, many graduates have found themselves in limbo - legally allowed to stay, but struggling to build the life they came for.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

That means the case now shifts to an appeals court, a process that could take months or even years and leave the Fed in limbo.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

The night reached such a depth of velvety blackness that he might have been suspended in limbo between Disapparition and Apparition.

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023