as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
a photographic exhibit of nightmarish images from the wars of the 20th century
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Recent Examples of nightmarish
While this may be great for the avid sports fan, traffic will be nightmarish for anyone driving in or around the South Philly Sports Complex area this week and weekend, and playoff overlaps have already postponed other events at the stadiums.
—
Kaitlyn McCormick, USA Today, 6 May 2026
The longer and more interesting answer is that, although there is no direct evidence that Odysseus existed, fought a war, and then suffered a nightmarish journey home to Ithaca, his story contains elements of historical memory and geographical accuracy.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026
When Lydia wakes from her own nightmarish sleep, Vivian’s seat is empty.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026
The Phillies on Tuesday fired manager Rob Thomson, the owner of the highest managerial winning percentage in franchise history who guided them to four postseason appearances in four years, but now bears the brunt of a nightmarish beginning to the 2026 season.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
This season has gotten off to a nightmarish start, and through the first month of the season the Red Sox offense has been among the worst in MLB.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
There was nothing quaint about the making of Apocalypse Now, for which Tavoularis created a nightmarish jungle kingdom with a decaying temple — inspired by the ancient Angkor Wat in Cambodia — as its centerpiece.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
Other residents who lived in the only building in the complex that escaped the fire face the trauma of living with nightmarish memories.
—Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Other residents who lived in the only building in the complex that escaped the fire face the trauma of living with nightmarish memories.
—ABC News, 19 Apr. 2026
Kaitlyn McCormick, USA Today, 6 May 2026
The longer and more interesting answer is that, although there is no direct evidence that Odysseus existed, fought a war, and then suffered a nightmarish journey home to Ithaca, his story contains elements of historical memory and geographical accuracy.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026
When Lydia wakes from her own nightmarish sleep, Vivian’s seat is empty.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026
The Phillies on Tuesday fired manager Rob Thomson, the owner of the highest managerial winning percentage in franchise history who guided them to four postseason appearances in four years, but now bears the brunt of a nightmarish beginning to the 2026 season.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
This season has gotten off to a nightmarish start, and through the first month of the season the Red Sox offense has been among the worst in MLB.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
There was nothing quaint about the making of Apocalypse Now, for which Tavoularis created a nightmarish jungle kingdom with a decaying temple — inspired by the ancient Angkor Wat in Cambodia — as its centerpiece.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
Other residents who lived in the only building in the complex that escaped the fire face the trauma of living with nightmarish memories.
—Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Other residents who lived in the only building in the complex that escaped the fire face the trauma of living with nightmarish memories.
—ABC News, 19 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmarish
Adjective
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Like its gruesome predecessors, his latest full-length work features adorably designed anthropomorphic animals (and mushrooms) navigating bleak realities and confronting existentialist concerns.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
15 May 2026
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Authorities were hunting for three days for the suspect after a gruesome late-night stabbing murder on Sunday in a laundry room in the Nordheim Court apartments.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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The legislation followed horrific flooding in Central Texas on July 4 that resulted in 25 campers and two counselors losing their lives at Camp Mystic.—
Jack Fink,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
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There are plenty of sad stories associated with the horrific fiery crash.—
Paul Eisenberg,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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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
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This is the nightmare scenario for California Democrats.—
Tom Charron,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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McGregor first fought at welterweight in 2016 in a shocking loss to Diaz, then defeated Diaz later that year, again in the 170-pound division.—
Mark Puleo,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
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But at the center of it all is Navarrette, whose fearless turn grounds the film’s shocking premise in something both heartbreaking and haunting.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
Adjective
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That is a really horrible thing.—
David Chiu,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
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The Virginia Supreme Court has just struck down the Democrats’ horrible gerrymander.—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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Residents describe ‘a terrible night’ More than 30 people were injured in the apartment building collapse, while emergency workers rescued 28 residents, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.—
Samya Kullab,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
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And some were not kind to him on social media following the terrible first round.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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Such obsession can be a frightening emotion both for the person experiencing it and for the target.—
Alex Barasch,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
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Even more frightening is a judge apologizing to an assassin who risked the lives of 2,000 people while attempting to assassinate the president and his cabinet.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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And while the concept of working is horrifying to nearly everyone else, Mary is captivated by the possibility of striking out on her own, even with the comfort of the very sweet Gardiner family.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
6 May 2026
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Associated Risks of Carpet Beetles Though that information may sound, well, moderately horrifying, carpet beetles pose no potential harm to you personally.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nightmarish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmarish. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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