as in horrific
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
Players must navigate nightmarish mazes where monsters lurk at every turn.
—
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent history is full of examples of people who won big jackpots only to see their lives take nightmarish turns.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025
For Chondwe, that conjured up nightmarish memories of the 1980s, '90s and early 2000s, when HIV had decimated his community.
—Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 6 Sep. 2025
To break this nightmarish cycle, every bit of it has to change.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
The nightmarish series of events in Miami sent the Yankees from 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East.
—Larry Fleisher, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
During this encore of Snowball Earth, with the world imprisoned in ice once more, volcanic CO2 built back up in the atmosphere again, unchecked over millions of hopelessly cold years and eventually reaching outrageously high, nightmarish levels.
—Peter Brannen
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
That’s followed by disturbing visions and a shocking disappearance draw him into a nightmarish confrontation with the darkest corners of his past.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey endured a nightmarish season in 2024, playing in just four games due to an Achilles injury that plagued him throughout the year.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent history is full of examples of people who won big jackpots only to see their lives take nightmarish turns.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025
For Chondwe, that conjured up nightmarish memories of the 1980s, '90s and early 2000s, when HIV had decimated his community.
—Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 6 Sep. 2025
To break this nightmarish cycle, every bit of it has to change.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
The nightmarish series of events in Miami sent the Yankees from 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East.
—Larry Fleisher, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
During this encore of Snowball Earth, with the world imprisoned in ice once more, volcanic CO2 built back up in the atmosphere again, unchecked over millions of hopelessly cold years and eventually reaching outrageously high, nightmarish levels.
—Peter Brannen
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
That’s followed by disturbing visions and a shocking disappearance draw him into a nightmarish confrontation with the darkest corners of his past.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey endured a nightmarish season in 2024, playing in just four games due to an Achilles injury that plagued him throughout the year.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmarish
Adjective
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An initial report of a paralyzed kitten being thrown down a staircase led police in Northern Ohio to a home where officers reported finding 13 young children living in horrific conditions.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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But, really, does enough training exist that would prepare anyone for such a horrific emergency?—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Gonzalez-Rasalas was charged with murder, desecrating a body and auto theft in a gruesome 2023 Easter Sunday homicide.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Sep. 2025
-
At the time, and in the next nearly two years, the Kansas City region also experienced the gruesome abuse and neglect deaths of three children ages 4 to 6, including one boy who fell from a 17th floor apartment window in November 2023.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
5 Sep. 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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The Chicago Bears suffered a shocking Week 1 loss, blowing a 17-6 fourth quarter lead at home against the division rival Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.—
Noah Camras,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
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Iryna was killed while sitting peacefully, an innocent life taken in a shocking and brutal way.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The horrible accident — later determined to be caused by pilot error — remains the deadliest plane crash in Charlotte history.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
-
But then came a horrible deep-ball attempt intended for Stefon Diggs that Isaiah Pola-Mao intercepted.—
Steve Buckley,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Overall, this wasn’t a terrible episode, but having our heroes start in the UK and then end up in Spain in the first episode felt rushed and wasteful.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Both men are good, both men are bad and both men have made terrible mistakes.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Interestingly, Lorraine has taught Judy to ward off her frightening visions by using a nursery rhyme, effectively teaching her to suppress her dark side.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
That's really frightening because people can be really cruel and that's dangerous.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Now Blitzer’s reporting paints a vivid—and horrifying—portrait of the lives that have been upended by the Administration’s most cruel policies.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
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Under Nathaniel Hackett’s 15-game watch of fans counting down the play clock, a player cursing out his quarterback, and teammates shoving one another on the sidelines and punching opponents, the sheer disconnect was comedic and horrifying.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nightmarish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmarish. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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