as in horrors
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
that 20-page exam was a nightmare
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Recent Examples of nightmares
The suit also said the attack traumatized other children who witnessed it, which continued to give them nightmares.
—
Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Strand also said Athena’s sister has required therapy and recently returned after experiencing nightmares about what happened, according to his testimony.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
Instead, women with OSA are more likely to have nightmares, wake up multiple times a night, have trouble staying asleep, and deal with insomnia, which then causes symptoms like daytime fatigue, morning headaches, and mood swings.
—Katie Camero, SELF, 16 Apr. 2026
Their evident fondness for one another, glowing warmly alongside all their sniping and whispering and eye-rolling, allows all the nightmares in Big Mistakes to feel like a lark rather than an incipient calamity.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
Between the jealousy, paranoia, and a shocking cake-cutting scene that'd give any wedding planner a lifetime of nightmares, The Girlfriend puts a soapy, sexy, scary spin on well-trodden monster-in-law territory.
—Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026
And still, months into their engagement, Jo was having nightmares—dreams about settling.
—Jenny Singer, Glamour, 8 Apr. 2026
Ashley Strand said her daughter also has nightmares and has seen, at age 14, impacts on her education.
—Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Social surrealists painted the American Dream (a phrase coined in 1931) curdling into nightmares of poverty and slum housing.
—John P. Murphy, ARTnews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Strand also said Athena’s sister has required therapy and recently returned after experiencing nightmares about what happened, according to his testimony.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
Instead, women with OSA are more likely to have nightmares, wake up multiple times a night, have trouble staying asleep, and deal with insomnia, which then causes symptoms like daytime fatigue, morning headaches, and mood swings.
—Katie Camero, SELF, 16 Apr. 2026
Their evident fondness for one another, glowing warmly alongside all their sniping and whispering and eye-rolling, allows all the nightmares in Big Mistakes to feel like a lark rather than an incipient calamity.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
Between the jealousy, paranoia, and a shocking cake-cutting scene that'd give any wedding planner a lifetime of nightmares, The Girlfriend puts a soapy, sexy, scary spin on well-trodden monster-in-law territory.
—Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026
And still, months into their engagement, Jo was having nightmares—dreams about settling.
—Jenny Singer, Glamour, 8 Apr. 2026
Ashley Strand said her daughter also has nightmares and has seen, at age 14, impacts on her education.
—Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Social surrealists painted the American Dream (a phrase coined in 1931) curdling into nightmares of poverty and slum housing.
—John P. Murphy, ARTnews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmares
Noun
-
Peacock / Peacock Ellerup said the horrors of Heuermann’s reign of terror continue to dominate her waking and sleeping hours.—
David K. Li,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Having witnessed the horrors of Nazi Germany, many older Stasi workers saw the East German state as the answer to creating a just and equitable society.—
Lauren Cassidy,
The Conversation,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And yet, in the scene on the Hill of Love, Lapid offers no self-questioning, no sense of cinematic exertion or trouble, in the fictional framing of the real agonies of Gaza.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The celebrated poet and memoirist, delves into the agonies of her decision and describes the emerging women’s liberation movement, of which Moore would soon become a participant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
One of his tortures is forcing his prisoners to watch it on repeat.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In that final part of the cycle—the writing part—were torments, perhaps even tortures, but good things happened.—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Inarguably one of the best teams in the country annually, the Boilermakers had a string of March miseries.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
18 Mar. 2026
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And allergy miseries don’t end after the spring.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
So too did Trump spiritual advisor Paula White-Cain, who compared the president’s torments to those of Jesus.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
-
In the face of such grave concerns, Alyoshka’s torments seem self-indulgent and frustrating, but his problem—whether to leave or stay—is far from insignificant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nightmares.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmares. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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