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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nightmare
Encyclopedia Britannica,
24 June 2026
By the end of the third Avatar movie, the RDA is the one being judged (harshly) by the nightmare-inducing cephalopods.
—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
24 June 2026
Eduardo Tansley,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
This is the nightmare scenario for California Democrats.
—
Tom Charron,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nightmare
Noun
Instead, the blockade was becoming a public relations nightmare for Moscow—and the airlift a symbol of Western resolve.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
24 June 2026
By the end of the third Avatar movie, the RDA is the one being judged (harshly) by the nightmare-inducing cephalopods.
—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
24 June 2026
Adjective
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
This is the nightmare scenario for California Democrats.
—
Tom Charron,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nightmare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmare
Noun
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The agony of Sudan runs deep; its history is crisscrossed with blood.
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Or at least movies about soccer can, engaging with themes of race and gender, ego, hubris, economics, politics, fandom, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat — as well as, of course, unadulterated athleticism.
Adjective
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What should have been a night of celebration and community reflection for Juneteenth was shattered by a horrific act of violence.
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First of all, the suffering of the Iranian people has been horrific in the context of this unnecessary conflict.
Noun
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The episodes seemed to wallow in Carmy’s misery, along with the frustrations of everyone around him.
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That’s a recipe for in-flight misery.
Adjective
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The men escape, but their frantic exit leads them through the gruesome Terminus food-supply dungeon, where fresh corpses hang on meathooks.
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With two gruesome losses, meanwhile, Tunisia — Netherlands’ foe Thursday at Kansas City (Arrowhead) Stadium — has been eliminated already and cannot advance to the knockout round, no matter the outcome in KC.
Noun
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Last year, voters showed a growing acceptance of the horror genre by awarding Oscars to Sinners and Weapons.
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This was to be a video game for horror fans, rather than targeted at people who were already inclined to seek out digital games.
Adjective
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The 29-year-old began her comeback Saturday at the American Classic in Champlin, Minnesota, just days after announcing her shocking return to the sport.
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Cape Verde earned three draws in the group stage – the shocking Spain result, running with Uruguay in the second match and ending up in a scoreless draw with Saudi Arabia in Houston on Friday.
Noun
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The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on Tuesday that practitioners of the Falun Gong spiritual movement cannot sue tech giant Cisco over allegations of aiding the Chinese government’s surveillance and torture of the group.
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Surviving former residents alleged that rape and torture had been routine there for decades, especially under segregation, when Black boys bore the worst of the abuse.
Adjective
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The Red Sox offense has been horrible this season, but Contreras has been everything the club could have hoped for.
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Your cab driver is taking you on a horrible route.
Cite this Entry
“Nightmare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmare. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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