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
Instead of the slow, masked killers people were used to, Freddy Krueger was a quick-witted, foul-mouthed, charismatic villain who could kill people in their dreams, oftentimes dragging them down into his nightmarish boiler room before finishing them off.
—
Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
So, in honor of the ever-expanding canon of Halloween hits, Billboard recently rounded up the 25 biggest songs in the nightmarish niche based on chart performance.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 30 Oct. 2025
Several of the characters are visited by nightmares, or nightmarish versions of their fears, much like in the films.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 30 Oct. 2025
My own reading led me down a narrower and perhaps less nightmarish alley, but one with cautionary implications of its own.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2025
These scenarios are both nightmarish and probable.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 26 Oct. 2025
Perplexity’s image features photographs of people with some truly nightmarish distortions on its wall, while the placement of its sink is confusing and distracting.
—PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2025
Through twisting corridors and multiple stories, guests encounter terrifying live actors, special effects, and nightmarish monsters.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2025
The opening sequence — involving a scared little boy whose fear only accelerates during a nightmarish car ride — is a decent bellwether for the first five episodes (which is all that were screened for critics, of the eight total).
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2025
Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
So, in honor of the ever-expanding canon of Halloween hits, Billboard recently rounded up the 25 biggest songs in the nightmarish niche based on chart performance.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 30 Oct. 2025
Several of the characters are visited by nightmares, or nightmarish versions of their fears, much like in the films.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 30 Oct. 2025
My own reading led me down a narrower and perhaps less nightmarish alley, but one with cautionary implications of its own.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2025
These scenarios are both nightmarish and probable.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 26 Oct. 2025
Perplexity’s image features photographs of people with some truly nightmarish distortions on its wall, while the placement of its sink is confusing and distracting.
—PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2025
Through twisting corridors and multiple stories, guests encounter terrifying live actors, special effects, and nightmarish monsters.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2025
The opening sequence — involving a scared little boy whose fear only accelerates during a nightmarish car ride — is a decent bellwether for the first five episodes (which is all that were screened for critics, of the eight total).
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmarish
Adjective
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Von had been Trump-friendly before the gruesome and heartbreaking videos of the ICE raids targeting working immigrants started going viral on social media.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
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Daniels suffered his gruesome non-throwing-arm injury during the fourth quarter of Week 9's blowout loss to the Seahawks.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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As this horrific scene is being investigated, prayers on behalf of our entire International Union are with those killed, injured, and affected, including their families, co-workers, and loved ones.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
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The Washington Commanders took the brunt of criticism on Sunday after quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered a horrific arm injury in the team’s 38-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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That alone would be nightmare enough, but this debate has been constructed and is moderated by Sam Reich.—
Nic Juarez,
Vulture,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Likewise, using the military to patrol the border is not a shocking mission.—
Peter D. Feaver,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Nov. 2025
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The numbers game was too great before Rhea Ripley made her shocking return from an injury.—
Fernando Quiles Jr,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The New York native collected Golden Globe and Spirit awards for her performance as the title character, an aging Czechoslovakian actress forced to take a stand-in job in a horrible off-Broadway play, in Anna.—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Nov. 2025
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Gano opening up about this comes on a horrible day for the football world after Dallas Cowboys second-year linebacker Marshawn Kneeland died by suicide at the age of 24.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The groundbreaking research penetrated the last moments of the young nobleman, who suffered a terrible 26 blows.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Nov. 2025
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History is full of cases where great bands make terrible records, yet history stands speechless at what the Clash accomplished here.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Because to accept Douglas Kelley's conclusions that the capacity for the most unspeakable atrocity is latent in our own reality is shockingly quotidian and perhaps too frightening to hear; a responsibility too terrible to accept and yet too prescient to ignore.—
NPR,
NPR,
11 Nov. 2025
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The 3-point shooting won’t hold, but even being around the top 10 in accuracy would make this scary Rockets squad even more frightening.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Is the plague in this acne-scarred nightmare an even more horrifying version of puberty?—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
10 Nov. 2025
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The horrifying reports of the massacre of hundreds of Sudanese civilians after the Darfur city of El Fasher was captured by the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) last week were the latest chapter in a brutal conflict that has killed more than 150,000 people over the past two and a half years.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nightmarish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmarish. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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