as in agony
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
that 20-page exam was a nightmare
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026
These nightmare celebrations happened in shows and movies released within the last few months.
—Judy Berman, Time, 27 May 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
Many people believe that Israel’s response to the nightmare of October 7 was excessive.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026
These nightmare celebrations happened in shows and movies released within the last few months.
—Judy Berman, Time, 27 May 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
-
Tony was in agony and there was a lot of blood.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
-
Jack Grealish had rolled on the floor in agony.—
Sam Lee,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Adjective
-
Not just their physical injuries, horrific in themselves.—
Susan Rona,
Time,
1 June 2026
-
Accompanying the violence, both the Naxals and the security forces – including local militia raised to combat the rebels – have been accused of horrific human rights abuses, including abductions, torture and rape.—
Dhruv Tikekar,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
The world may have looked grim in what was also a penultimate week before elections, when the focus becomes necessarily not on joy but misery, the political premise being the winning candidate is the one who makes the electorate the angriest.—
Mark Swed,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
-
Plus, to your other point, any contender is one injury away from misery, as the Warriors have shown with Stephen Curry in recent years or the Pacers showed with Tyrese Halliburton this season (while accepting the Celtics as an outlier).—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
With Chubb and Phillips still on the mend from gruesome injuries the year prior, the then-rookie was thought to be the heir apparent.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2026
-
The case has been widely reported by China’s heavily state censored media for the gruesome details of how Xu plotted the murder.—
Sylvie Zhuang,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Nilsson admits to suffering from horror vacui—a fear of empty space, which in her case reads less like a neurotic affliction than like compulsive conviviality.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
One of the only calendar moments the site leans into is Halloween, where thousands upon thousands of videos flood the platform, from DIY Halloween costume tutorials to full-length horror films, a YouTube spokesman tells me.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
But, following a string of disappointing national-team performances, including failing to qualify for the 1958 World Cup and shocking losses to both the Soviet Union and North Korea at the 1966 edition, the league reinstated the ban.—
Albert Samaha,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
-
Somebody Somewhere — a naturalistic, moving three-season performance that culminated in a shocking Emmy win for best supporting actor last year.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
His enforcers were trained in torture techniques by the CIA and educated in the theories expounded by the political scientist Samuel Huntington.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
-
The teen, who was at a nearby hotel, was taken into custody and booked for 12 counts of willful/malicious kill/maim/torture animal -- horse and three counts of felony malicious destruction of private property over $5,000, police said.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
His slugging percentage is horrible.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 May 2026
-
Some of it had to do with horrible tragedy, some because hopefuls could not see the math working out for them.—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nightmare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmare. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
