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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
That night, King was plagued with a sweat-inducing nightmare about his young son. — Nicholas Derenzo, Travel + Leisure, 23 Sep. 2026 There is also the hangover effect with this bunch from Colorado, seeing how last season turned into a nightmare for the coaching staff in Boulder. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 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
  • Still, Joe feels responsible and apologizes to Michelle, who, despite probably being in horrific pain, is a very good sport about the whole thing.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Part of a Lavallette, New Jersey, liquor store was boarded up and a bouquet of flowers was left outside Sunday night, somber reminders of a horrific crash that killed a woman a day earlier.
    — Naveen Dhaliwal, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of horrific
Noun
  • His Lamb goes from a brash Yorkshire showman to a callous profiteer of human vice and misery, his cheeky smile becoming a vicious snarl.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Sunday’s results, coupled with the trouncing in Saxony-Anhalt earlier this month, heap misery on an already beleaguered Merz.
    — Sebastian Shukla, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of misery
Adjective
  • The scene-stealing role brought her a best supporting actress Oscar nomination, a rarity for comedy — especially given that in the film’s famously gruesome food poisoning set-piece, Megan uses a sink as a toilet.
    — Kate Aurthur, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Lizzie, who was 32 years old at the time and living at home, became the prime suspect in the gruesome murders, and was arrested and charged shortly after their deaths.
    — Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of gruesome
Noun
  • Thames cemented his status as a young star capable of commanding major studio vehicles with roles in a pair of Universal projects — the 2021 horror flick The Black Phone and 2025’s live-action How to Train Your Dragon.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026
  • But the gala audience that showed up on opening night in Halloween mode (kilts, masks, bloodstained white suits, regal gowns) must have picked up on the production’s ultimate mixture of playfulness and horror.
    — Justin Davidson, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of horror
Adjective
  • Elaine Hendrix is sounding off about Tuesday’s shocking elimination on Dancing With the Stars season 35.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The reveal of Aaliyah was far from the only shocking moment in the finale.
    — David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of shocking
Noun
  • They were held to answer on murder and torture charges Thursday after a four-day preliminary hearing in Compton, and face either life in prison or the death penalty if convicted at trial.
    — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
  • On Thursday, after an eight-day trial, a 10-person federal jury found that Plazas Vega was not civilly liable for Urán’s torture or extrajudicial killing.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of torture
Adjective
  • At its worst, cognitive impairment can be a horrible, life-altering disease for patient and loved ones.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Doubs had a horrible debut in the league’s season opener last week against the Seattle Seahawks.
    — Daniel Popper, New York Times, 16 Sep. 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 29 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on nightmare

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nightmare

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