nightmare 1 of 2

noun

ˈnīt-ˌmer How to pronounce nightmare (audio)
Definition of nightmarenext
as in agony
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness that 20-page exam was a nightmare

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

nightmare

2 of 2

adjective

as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent survivors of a nuclear holocaust would surely face a nightmare existence

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nightmare
Noun
Their postseason turned into a nightmare almost immediately in the Cubs’ 8-0 loss in which they were held to three hits during Game 1 of the wild-card series against the Padres at Petco Park. — Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026 Hitler wanted more dead, but his early lightning victories—Poland beaten in weeks, France in forty days—had turned into a grinding nightmare for the Nazis. — Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
Adjective
This is the nightmare scenario behind the Kessler syndrome, a cascading chain of collisions that could render entire orbital pathways unusable. — Alan Bradley, Space.com, 2 Aug. 2026 But the 22-year-old is not alone in having a nightmare individual performance on a high-profile sporting stage. — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nightmare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmare
  1. agony
  2. horrific
  3. misery
  4. gruesome
  5. horror
  6. shocking
  7. torture
  8. horrible
Noun
  • When John reveals the Halogram to Kerry (after fair warning), the look on her face is a mix of shock and agony.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Burns, 28, dropped to the ground in agony on his 25th snap of the Giants’ narrow 12-7 win over the Tennessee Titans.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of agony
Adjective
  • He will be punished, defense says Facing the jury, Brenner said they will be exposed to horrific photographs that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026
  • In truly horrific news, a Frankfort mom is accused of killing her 2-year-old son after allegedly following the trial of Lindsay Clancy with great interest.
    — Hilary Gowins, Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of horrific
Noun
  • Cubs fans generally don’t care about the Sox, so their misery was focused solely on their team’s no-show performance at Petco Park.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The origin story helps contextualize the misery and self-isolation of Cathy’s later years, as the madam of a Salinas whorehouse.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of misery
Adjective
  • The gruesome 2023 murder of Choi, who rubbed shoulders with showbiz elites at fashion events and had a significant following online, sent shockwaves through the wealthy financial hub and made global headlines.
    — Chris Lau, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
  • High-scoring winger Kevin Fiala, meanwhile, will miss the first couple of months, at least, after experiencing a setback in his return from a gruesome leg injury sustained at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
    — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of gruesome
Noun
  • Morganti pointed to Spanish-language horror, a genre that was once treated as niche, as another area where Amazon has seen the market expand.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Neon plans a 2027 theatrical release under the Creative Commons license for the open-source horror film based on a fictional secretive organization that keeps supernatural items and other harmful entities away from the public.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of horror
Adjective
  • The officers shared the shocking recording Wednesday in hopes of identifying the driver, whose license plate cannot be discerned in the clip.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • With a little bit of separation from the shocking and utterly devastating news of Dolly the late singer’s death, a clearer view of what actually happened to Parton is starting to emerge.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of shocking
Noun
  • Unlike under his family’s 54-year police state – where public defiance could mean prison, torture, disappearance or death – they were allowed to go home.
    — Tala Alrajjal, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Many have no criminal convictions and have been found to be at risk of torture or persecution, attorneys for the immigrants said.
    — Lindsay Whitehurst, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of torture
Adjective
  • Hill is a free agent after a horrible injury suffered last season.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Ashley Flynn’s sister, Kayla Keyt, said during her victim statement that her family could not overcome their sense of shock and despair after learning that Flynn betrayed them in such a violent and horrible way.
    — Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of horrible

Browse Nearby Words

nightly
nightmare
nightmares
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Cite this Entry

“Nightmare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmare. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on nightmare

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nightmare

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