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
With Boston sealing the sweep on a game-winning single from Jarren Duran, a nightmarish, long weekend at Fenway Park came to a painful end for the Bombers.
—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
29 June 2026
On the other end of the spectrum was a nightmarish third inning in which the hosts scored 10 runs.
—
Kansas City Star,
27 June 2026
Aside from serving up Joe Carter’s homer, what was the Wild Thing’s most nightmarish feat in the 1993 World Series?
—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
26 June 2026
What begins as a simple burglary spirals into a nightmarish ordeal after one sister throws out her back and becomes immobilized on the second floor.
—
Anthony D'alessandro,
Deadline,
25 June 2026
At first glance, Codey looks like a nightmarish character from the year 3000.
—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
In the show, the heroine shares nightmarish tales alongside Herneval, who appears not as a prince but a sentient book.
—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Fast forward a couple of decades, and the duo has joined forces for Find Your Friends, a nightmarish new horror-thriller about a girls' trip gone wrong.
—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
14 June 2026
Facing a nightmarish opponent, New Yorkers’ first response was to meet the moment with uncharacteristically cheerful jokes.
—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
29 June 2026
On the other end of the spectrum was a nightmarish third inning in which the hosts scored 10 runs.
—
Kansas City Star,
27 June 2026
Aside from serving up Joe Carter’s homer, what was the Wild Thing’s most nightmarish feat in the 1993 World Series?
—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
26 June 2026
What begins as a simple burglary spirals into a nightmarish ordeal after one sister throws out her back and becomes immobilized on the second floor.
—
Anthony D'alessandro,
Deadline,
25 June 2026
At first glance, Codey looks like a nightmarish character from the year 3000.
—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
In the show, the heroine shares nightmarish tales alongside Herneval, who appears not as a prince but a sentient book.
—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Fast forward a couple of decades, and the duo has joined forces for Find Your Friends, a nightmarish new horror-thriller about a girls' trip gone wrong.
—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
14 June 2026
Facing a nightmarish opponent, New Yorkers’ first response was to meet the moment with uncharacteristically cheerful jokes.
—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmarish
Adjective
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The men escape, but their frantic exit leads them through the gruesome Terminus food-supply dungeon, where fresh corpses hang on meathooks.
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With two gruesome losses, meanwhile, Tunisia — Netherlands’ foe Thursday at Kansas City (Arrowhead) Stadium — has been eliminated already and cannot advance to the knockout round, no matter the outcome in KC.
Adjective
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What should have been a night of celebration and community reflection for Juneteenth was shattered by a horrific act of violence.
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First of all, the suffering of the Iranian people has been horrific in the context of this unnecessary conflict.
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.
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This is the nightmare scenario for California Democrats.
Adjective
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The 29-year-old began her comeback Saturday at the American Classic in Champlin, Minnesota, just days after announcing her shocking return to the sport.
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Cape Verde earned three draws in the group stage – the shocking Spain result, running with Uruguay in the second match and ending up in a scoreless draw with Saudi Arabia in Houston on Friday.
Adjective
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The Red Sox offense has been horrible this season, but Contreras has been everything the club could have hoped for.
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Your cab driver is taking you on a horrible route.
Adjective
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The production quality was terrible.
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But in May of 1943, a terrible fire burned his studio to the ground.
Adjective
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Earlier movie versions have managed the story’s most frightening moments with the limited technology available at the time—much plastic and spongy stuff; monsters in process shots looming over little men; papier-mâché boulders flung from hilltops.
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Even more frightening, the percentage exceeded 50% in many groups, including insects, terrestrial vertebrates, and marine species.
Adjective
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Botulism is a horrifying illness, leaving babies without the ability to suck and swallow properly or hold their heads up.
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Despite the horrifying circumstances, Kara remained focused on planning her escape.
Cite this Entry
“Nightmarish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmarish. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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