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
Someone breaking in the middle of the night … tying you up, these … are things that are nightmares.
—
Lauren Clark, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
For once, the Fort Worth Zoo was not the cause of traffic nightmares on South University Boulevard.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2026
Originally performed as part of ‘The Shape of the Night’, a full-length immersive experience exploring the world of dreams and nightmares created by Overlook veteran group All Of Them Witches (AOTW).
—William Earl, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
What came out was the stuff of nightmares — and unexpectedly, one of the most entertaining videos the internet has seen in a while.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
Its owners have noted chilling ill effects after the art’s arrival, like insomnia, nightmares, and a sense of being constantly watched.
—Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
Even as the industry leans into horror at the box office and in the press, its upper echelon shows an equally strong urge to use the genre’s intensity as an excuse to look away from the nightmares that most need illuminating.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 17 Mar. 2026
Nations can’t just blink away the nightmares of authoritarianism or assume that removing a strongman will resolve the societal conditions that led to his rise.
—Michael Snyder, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Ragusa’s paintings explore opulence, yet evoke a kind of existential angst, while Brown’s work reclaims the symbols that haunt our nightmares, turning fear into empowerment.
—Anya Sesay, jsonline.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Lauren Clark, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
For once, the Fort Worth Zoo was not the cause of traffic nightmares on South University Boulevard.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2026
Originally performed as part of ‘The Shape of the Night’, a full-length immersive experience exploring the world of dreams and nightmares created by Overlook veteran group All Of Them Witches (AOTW).
—William Earl, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
What came out was the stuff of nightmares — and unexpectedly, one of the most entertaining videos the internet has seen in a while.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
Its owners have noted chilling ill effects after the art’s arrival, like insomnia, nightmares, and a sense of being constantly watched.
—Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
Even as the industry leans into horror at the box office and in the press, its upper echelon shows an equally strong urge to use the genre’s intensity as an excuse to look away from the nightmares that most need illuminating.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 17 Mar. 2026
Nations can’t just blink away the nightmares of authoritarianism or assume that removing a strongman will resolve the societal conditions that led to his rise.
—Michael Snyder, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Ragusa’s paintings explore opulence, yet evoke a kind of existential angst, while Brown’s work reclaims the symbols that haunt our nightmares, turning fear into empowerment.
—Anya Sesay, jsonline.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmares
Noun
-
Yet as deeply personal and dark as the subject matter can sometimes be, amid the horrors of today’s headlines, the album’s optimism is a welcome sound.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Michael Winterbottom followed in 2023 with Shoshana (a film that premiered a full month before the horrors of October 7), and last year saw Cherien Dabis’s sprawling epic All That’s Left of You make the Oscar shortlist.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Hadi’s exceptional attention gives cinematic identity to collective artisanal energy, to the life force of care and devotion that stands outside the agonies of politics, to the spirit that endures a regime and outlives it.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Former Jews deemed insufficiently converted faced the Spanish Inquisition’s tortures.—
David Bloom,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
-
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
-
For example, Madrazo’s depiction of the daughters of El Cid echoes Yáñez’s treatment of Sebastian’s torments, and Guerrero has deeply studied Spanish baroque painting.—
Benjamin Lima
Special Contributor,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nightmares.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmares. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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