1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

nightmares

noun

plural of nightmare
as in horrors
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness that 20-page exam was a nightmare

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 nightmares These nine classics skillfully keep audiences guessing while depicting different kinds of waking nightmares, making the protagonists’ traumas our own for a few entertaining hours. — David Faris, TheWeek, 14 Sep. 2026 As more time passed and Minnesota remained within striking distance, nightmares of last season morphed into reality. — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 The immature boy-king Richard II (Woody Norman) is racked with nightmares and unable to govern. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026 Biographers and historians have documented that Stewart suffered from severe psychological trauma, which caused digestive issues, insomnia, nightmares, shakes and sweats. — Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026 Immediate reactions during those instances include vomiting, insomnia and nightmares, the lawsuit claims. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026 In the weeks after the earthquakes, recurring nightmares plagued Marquina. — ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026 Its heroine, Calypso, wakes up each day to find her dreams – or nightmares – become part of her real life. — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2026 Then, there’s the whole end-of-the-world thing and those recurring nuclear nightmares, spurred by his feelings on the state of our government. — Charles Moss, SPIN, 1 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmares
  1. horrors
  2. agonies
  3. tortures
  4. miseries
  5. torments
Noun
  • For Everton fans hoping this game would draw a line under the existential horrors of transfer deadline day earlier in the week, this was a positive outcome.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • For years, Germany has built its identity on its leadership role in a broader and more open Europe and on its culture of remembrance – keeping the horrors of the Nazi regime ever fresh in thought.
    — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of horrors
Noun
  • Sadly, in discouraging all the phantom agonies, FIFA inadvertently seems to have done away with the equally farcical phenomenon that is Magic Spray®.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 July 2026
  • The reticence of Cartland’s heroes belies agonies of loneliness.
    — Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026
Definition of agonies
Noun
  • Penal Code 597 states that any person who who maliciously and intentionally maims, mutilates, tortures, or wounds a living animal is guilty of a crime.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Tykes get slapped around, shot with arrows and dangled in traffic — tortures that are played seriously, but the shock of them allows you to guffaw.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Definition of tortures
Noun
  • Some residents said hope is elusive given the island’s litany of miseries – from natural disasters to a bankrupt government to a financial control board that manages funding for infrastructure.
    — Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Cyclospora, an intestinal parasite, has sickened thousands of people and hospitalized hundreds with explosive diarrhea, painful cramping, or other gastrointestinal miseries.
    — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of miseries
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
Definition of torments

Browse Nearby Words

nightmare
nightmares
nightmarish
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nightmares.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmares. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All