night terror

noun

Definition of night terror

: a sudden awakening in dazed terror that occurs in children during slow-wave sleep, is often preceded by a sudden shrill cry uttered in sleep, and is not remembered when the child awakes —usually used in plural

Examples of night terror in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Tom, a growing girl, complains of hunger, and Will suffers from night terrors. — J.r. Jones, Chicago Reader, "Leave No Trace approaches homelessness on the most intimate terms," 11 July 2018 Anyone with a previous history of sleepwalking, night terrors, or other parasomnias should avoid taking Ambien, as well. — Amanda Macmillan, Health.com, "Roseanne Barr Blamed Her Racist Tweet on Ambien. Here's What an Expert Thinks," 30 May 2018 As recently as a generation ago, problems like these were considered an inconvenient quirk or a cohabitation liability, like snoring or night terrors. — Ashley Fetters, Bon Appetit, "How Sleep Became a Wellness Fixation," 29 May 2018 His anxiety, depression, traumatic brain injury, the night terrors -- all of his troubles, Mikey seems to wordlessly understand. — Marc Lester, adn.com, "How a service dog opened an Alaska veteran's world," 16 May 2015 Mentally, mom says Quincy is doing OK, despite some night terrors. — Angela Helm, The Root, "Interview: Mother of 8-Year-Old Nearly Hung in NH Speaks Out on Moving Forward With Her Son," 13 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'night terror.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.