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
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 28 Jan. 2026
The strength that the NFL is enjoying this year is in sharp contrast to the string of PR nightmares that the league faced not so long ago.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
Nic Juarez, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nightmare
Noun
Volume 1 about a troubled pregnant woman who accepts an invite to a dinner party which degenerates into a bloody and demented nightmare.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 28 Jan. 2026
The strength that the NFL is enjoying this year is in sharp contrast to the string of PR nightmares that the league faced not so long ago.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
That alone would be nightmare enough, but this debate has been constructed and is moderated by Sam Reich.
—Nic Juarez, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nightmare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmare
Noun
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That data may suffer from recency bias—the last memory of fans who enjoy part of a great match but eventually lose their seat is negative, whereas fans who waited for hours to get into the end of a great match may forget the agony of the wait.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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One lives vicariously with the band through the agony of the days when creativity was limited by how much tape was available or how much space there was on a single album without making the perilous leap to double.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
With the partial restoration of internet access, people inside the country and others who have left in recent days shared videos and stories with ABC News that shows the horrific nature of the regime's suppression of the protests.—
Somayeh Malekian,
ABC News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Syria’s horrific civil war killed more than 500,000 people over a 14-year period starting in 2011.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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This week’s massive winter storm dumped more than a foot of snow on at least 19 states, including those like Texas and Tennessee that are less prepared to deal with the miseries of winter weather.—
Amy Feldman,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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But apartheid brought immense unhappiness and misery to white South Africans, too.—
Eve Fairbanks,
The Dial,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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When a spate of gruesome killings that resemble a decades-old crime rock a small town, disgraced detective Lee Dong-sik (Shin Ha-kyun) has a chance to restore his reputation with the help of young upstart investigator Han Joo-won (Yeo Jin-goo).—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
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Bianca Belair has been out of action since WrestleMania 41 in April 2025 after suffering a gruesome finger injury.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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As America watched, awe turned to horror as the shuttle broke apart 73 seconds after liftoff because of a rupture in one of its solid-fuel boosters, killing everyone on board.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The film plays on the real-life horrors of conversion therapy and stars Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen, Jeremy Blewitt, Ewen Leslie, Davida McKenzie, Nicholas Hope, Zahra Newman, and Mia Wasikowska.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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As buried family secrets and small-town lies emerge, Courtney must decide who to trust before a shocking revelation changes everything.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
31 Jan. 2026
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Louisiana State Police announced on Saturday the capture of all eight inmates who escaped early Friday in a shocking East Carroll Parish jailbreak.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Advertisement The atrocities and methods of torture were almost too much to absorb.—
Sally Susman,
Time,
27 Jan. 2026
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Kristi Noem, the head of the Department of Homeland Security, posed in front of a group of immigrants sent to a torture site in El Salvador, in a show of sadistic titillation.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The killing and execution of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and the horrible lies perpetuated by this government are abhorrent.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Jan. 2026
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Someone should start talking about improving the state’s horrible inability to attract fellow Americans.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nightmare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmare. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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