# limbo

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈlɪmbəʊ/ · frequency rank #19,381

## Definitions
1. A speculation, 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 or limbo of the infants); (countable) the possible place where each category of souls might exist, regarded separately.
2. Chiefly preceded by in: any in-between place, or condition or state, of neglect or oblivion which results in deadlock, delay, or some other unresolved status.
3. Jail, prison; (countable) a jail cell or lockup.
4. Synonym of Hades or Hell.
5. Synonym of pawn (“the state of something being held as security for a loan, or as a pledge”).
6. A type of antisubmarine mortar installed on naval vessels.

## Etymology
The noun is derived from Middle English limbo, lymbo (“place where innocent souls exist temporarily until they can enter heaven”), from Latin limbō, the ablative singular of limbus (“border, edge; hem; fringe, tassel”) (notably in expressions like in limbō (“in limbo”) and e limbō (“out of limbo”)); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *lemb- (“to hang limply or loosely”), from Proto-Indo-European *leb- (“to hang down loosely (?)”). Doublet of limp.
The verb is derived from the noun.

## Easily confused with
- **LMAO** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/limbo-vs-lmao)
- **lime** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/limbo-vs-lime)
- **limp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/limbo-vs-limp)
- **limo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/limbo-vs-limo)
- **lobo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/limbo-vs-lobo)
- **lino** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/limbo-vs-lino)
- **limit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/limbo-vs-limit)
- **limbs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/limbo-vs-limbs)
- **lingo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/limbo-vs-lingo)
- **limes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/limbo-vs-limes)
- **Lisbon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/limbo-vs-lisbon)
- **lib** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lib-vs-limbo)
- **lim** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lim-vs-limbo)
- **lamb** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lamb-vs-limbo)
- **limb** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/limb-vs-limbo)
- **lima** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lima-vs-limbo)
- **lido** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lido-vs-limbo)
- **liao** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/liao-vs-limbo)
- **lilo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lilo-vs-limbo)
- **Libby** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/libby-vs-limbo)

## Common misspellings (7)
`ilmbo`, `libmo`, `limbbo`, `limmbo`, `limob`, `llimbo`, `lmibo`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/limbo