limbo
/ˈlɪmbəʊ/ (bre, ipa) · [lˈɪmbo] /ˈlɪmbəʊ/ (ame, ipa) · [lˈɪmbo] /ˈlim-(ˌ)bō How to pronounce limbo (audio)/ (ame, mw)
limbo — noun
- limbosingular
- limbosplural
1. a situation where progress stops because no decision has been made, so people mu
a situation where progress stops because no decision has been made, so people must wait without being able to control what happens next
Padma's visa application stayed in limbo for three months after the interview.
stay in limbo while waiting for an official decision
The merger was left in limbo when the board suddenly changed its chair.
leave something in limbo when a decision is delayed
After the storm, hundreds of families were in limbo without power or news.
Jude felt in limbo until the hospital called with his test results.
- uncertainty
broader and can describe only a feeling, while limbo stresses being stuck with no progress
- stalemate
suggests two sides blocking each other, not simply waiting for a decision
- suspension
sounds more official and usually refers to a formal pause ordered by someone
- resolution
a point where a decision is finally made and the delay ends
- certainty
the opposite state in which the outcome or next step is clear
文法句型
be in limbo
leave something in limbo
remain in limbo
用法筆記
This sense is usually used for cases that are waiting on a decision by an office, court, company, or other authority. Distinguish it from sense 3, which is about being ignored or forgotten rather than being stuck in a waiting process.
常見錯誤
2. a dance or party game in which people lean backward to pass under a bar that is
a dance or party game in which people lean backward to pass under a bar that is lowered after each round
Ryo bent backward smoothly and won the school limbo contest.
limbo contest with bending backward under a bar
At the beach party, Lara laughed as everyone tried the limbo together.
do the limbo at a party
The music sped up while the children shuffled under the limbo bar.
Benjamin pulled a muscle practicing the limbo before the carnival parade.
文法句型
do the limbo
limbo contest
limbo bar
用法筆記
This sense usually appears with verbs such as do, try, or win, or with nouns such as bar and contest. Unlike sense 1, it refers to a physical activity rather than a delayed situation.
常見錯誤
3. a state in which someone or something is left ignored, unused, or no longer reme
a state in which someone or something is left ignored, unused, or no longer remembered
After the election, the mayor's housing plan slipped into limbo and nobody mentioned it again.
slip into limbo when something stops receiving attention
Thousands of paper files sat in limbo inside the closed factory office.
Anong feared her grandfather's songs would vanish into limbo after his death.
The broken fountain remained in limbo behind the museum for years.
- attention
active care or notice that keeps something from being forgotten
- recognition
public notice or value given to a person, work, or plan
文法句型
slip into limbo
fall into limbo
vanish into limbo
用法筆記
This sense is used when people stop paying attention to something and leave it forgotten or unused. Distinguish it from sense 1, where the problem is unresolved waiting rather than neglect.
4. in older Roman Catholic teaching, the place where children who died before bapti
in older Roman Catholic teaching, the place where children who died before baptism were believed to stay
The monk explained limbo to the children during the church history class.
religious discussion of limbo in Catholic teaching
In the novel, the baby's soul waits in limbo outside heaven.
Sivan asked whether older Catholic writers still spoke about limbo.
The guide compared limbo with purgatory during the museum lecture.
文法句型
believe in limbo
go to limbo
speak about limbo
用法筆記
This sense belongs to older Catholic theology and usually appears in religious or historical discussion. It is not the same as sense 1, which is the everyday figurative meaning about being stuck in uncertainty.