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
Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2026
Learn about Outside Online's affiliate link policy Putting on a wetsuit is a sensory nightmare, even in the best circumstances.
—Mattie Friberg, Outside, 19 Feb. 2026
Nic Juarez, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nightmare
Noun
Manuela, who felt more alone than ever, only wanted their American nightmare to end.
—Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2026
Learn about Outside Online's affiliate link policy Putting on a wetsuit is a sensory nightmare, even in the best circumstances.
—Mattie Friberg, Outside, 19 Feb. 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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The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.—
Staff Photographer,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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Latinx people of conscience recognize our own tios, tias, primos, primas, mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers in the brown faces being livestreamed with blood and agony pouring into enraged mouths asking for help.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Pregnancy was an offense punishable by death in the camps, yet all three women managed to survive horrific conditions, give birth and keep their newborns alive through seemingly impossible twists of fate and luck.—
Lesley Stahl,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
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His cinema verite style powerfully exposed the horrific inhumanity of public institutions (like hospitals, schools and housing projects) supposedly created to help people.—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Pecola responds to her misery by trying to undo herself.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Sought book on prosecutorial misconduct In the bulk of his conversations, Nathan detailed the misery of jail life.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And Margot Robbie gives the character a sharpness, an agency that’s a relief from the wilting Catherines of yore — which actually makes her ultimate gruesome fate feel that much more tragic.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
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Prisoners endured frequent selections, some by Nazi doctor Josef Mengele, known for his gruesome experiments on camp inmates.—
Lesley Stahl,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Crystallizing in the early ’90s at a time when American death metal was leaning into gory extremity (and the Norwegians were just actually killing people), the style offered a whimsical counterbalance to all the shock and horror.—
Sam Goldner,
Pitchfork,
17 Feb. 2026
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An emotional mind sees horrors and fears where none exists.—
Roger Van Zanen,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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While Dunk emerged victorious in the trial, the battle was not without bloodshed and deaths, including a shocking one no one saw coming.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
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Saturday’s loss was neither KU’s biggest home loss, nor the most shocking, of the Self era.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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This is due to the relatively large numbers of extrajudicial killings – that is, death by a state agent without due process, alongside physical integrity rights violations, including political imprisonment and torture, in the form of police brutality.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
17 Feb. 2026
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And if working with a parent sounds like torture, well, sorry, Brunson can’t relate.—
Tom Kludt,
Vanity Fair,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And for the next year its law enforcement members were hailed as heroes for their efforts that prevented a horrible situation from becoming even worse.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
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There’s nary a crease to be seen in Bina Daigeler’s costumes, all covetable, unapproachable and tailored to the gods; Matthew Herbert’s score may be among the lushest ever slathered over such horrible goings-on.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nightmare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmare. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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