as in agony
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
that 20-page exam was a nightmare
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
survivors of a nuclear holocaust would surely face a nightmare existence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nightmare
Ian Millhiser, Vox, 15 Apr. 2025
The fungus that hijacks ants like a ghastly marionette
Penn State
The humble carpenter ant is the unsuspecting victim of this nightmare.
—New Atlas, 12 Apr. 2025
This is shaping up to be a nightmare of a weekend for the Boston Red Sox.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2025
After blowing a 17-point lead in Saturday’s home loss to the Chicago Bulls, the Heat ran into the same nightmare on Monday.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nightmare
Noun
Even this relatively narrow rule would be a logistical nightmare for public schools, for the simple reason that teachers cannot possibly anticipate everything that will happen in their classrooms and advise parents of it in advance.
—Ian Millhiser, Vox, 15 Apr. 2025
The fungus that hijacks ants like a ghastly marionette
Penn State
The humble carpenter ant is the unsuspecting victim of this nightmare.
—New Atlas, 12 Apr. 2025
This is shaping up to be a nightmare of a weekend for the Boston Red Sox.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2025
After blowing a 17-point lead in Saturday’s home loss to the Chicago Bulls, the Heat ran into the same nightmare on Monday.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nightmare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmare
Noun
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Ellie is stricken with agony, her reaction almost feral.—
Noel Murray,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
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The agony of not knowing was heartbreakingly illustrated by the plight of Oscar Johnson, of St. Charles.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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These types of horrific events by terrorists are why those of us who work for peace and stability in the world continue our mission.—
Danielle Wallace,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2025
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Of course, some eight hundred thousand did die—many in horrific ways—while the formerly enslaved were left to fend for themselves in a postwar state where apartheid was enforced by terror.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Kennedy described addiction as both a source of misery and a symptom of deeper pain, drawing from his own experience of trying to fill an emotional void with drugs.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
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Now, though, The Last of Us is as blinded as Ellie is by misery.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Surely Yellowstone, with its large predators and geothermal activity will deliver something gruesome.—
Wes Siler,
Outside Online,
19 Apr. 2025
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Realizing that the price of Remmick's offer is their souls, the living make a desperate last stand that results in the gruesome deaths of everyone but Smoke and Sammie.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The horror movie Late Night with the Devil sparked controversy for its use of AI to make three title cards, while Oscar favorites The Brutalist and Emilia Pérez landed in hot water over their use of voice-cloning technology.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
29 Apr. 2025
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The companies also joined forces on the horror Monitor, currently in production, and Simon Curtis’ Encore.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Now a shocking new report has revealed the true extent to which the communication threat extends, with a staggering 30 malicious emails a day arriving on average.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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Then, in 1903, news broke of a shocking massacre in the town of Kishinev, in the southwestern reaches of the Russian Empire.—
Kathryn Schulz,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Payton faces one charge each of torture and assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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The story said that Tidwell's testimony was also used in the sentencing of two other men: Calvin Stovall was sentenced to life in prison in 2008 on federal marijuana-trafficking charges, and Darrell Walker was sentenced to 24 years for participating in Johnson's torture and slaying.—
Daniel McFadin,
Arkansas Online,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Big, wonderful, funny, horrible, strange, sad, great life.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
1 May 2025
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One of our group hunted it on a rainy afternoon — traditionally a horrible time to bag a bird — and killed a 3-year-old tom. —A.M. Don’t Become Overly Reliant on Your Cameras Cameras aren’t magic.—
Andrew McKean,
Outdoor Life,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nightmare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmare. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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