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
So a familiar roster with a familiar coaching staff slogging through a nightmarish first month only intensifies the scrutiny.
—
Matt Gelb, New York Times, 26 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
Past employees have said that working under Levin is nightmarish; one former colleague of Levin’s filed a gender discrimination complaint against the organization in 2020.
—Paula Mejía, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026
Created by John Griffin (Crater) From unravels the mystery of a nightmarish town that traps all those who enter.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 15 Apr. 2026
Leaders and others in these communities have often spoken out against violence as a solution, while warning that pondering existential and nightmarish scenarios can overwhelm and destabilize vulnerable people.
—St. John Barned-Smith, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Apr. 2026
Matt Gelb, New York Times, 26 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
Past employees have said that working under Levin is nightmarish; one former colleague of Levin’s filed a gender discrimination complaint against the organization in 2020.
—Paula Mejía, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026
Created by John Griffin (Crater) From unravels the mystery of a nightmarish town that traps all those who enter.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 15 Apr. 2026
Leaders and others in these communities have often spoken out against violence as a solution, while warning that pondering existential and nightmarish scenarios can overwhelm and destabilize vulnerable people.
—St. John Barned-Smith, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmarish
Adjective
-
The gruesome case forced the Asahiyama Zoo, closed since early last month as part of regular maintenance ahead of the summer season, to delay its reopening scheduled for Wednesday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
-
Bathen says the gruesome details aren't a bother to some.—
Gillian Telling,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Earlier in the month, the courts heard the horrific and emotional testimonies of camp counselors of that night as part of the lawsuit.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
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So even as the Nazi regime was radicalizing through the 1930s and committing horrific violence, the German population was still laughing and being entertained.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
This is the nightmare scenario for California Democrats.—
Tom Charron,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In the furthest part of space lies Dante 01, a detention facility that houses criminals who have committed the most shocking crimes imaginable.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
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Their latest documentary series looks set to continue that streak, exploring a shocking real case of love, betrayal, and justice.—
Fleurine Tideman,
Glamour,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Your cab driver is taking you on a horrible route.—
Zach Schiffman,
Curbed,
24 Apr. 2026
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There’s enough cop shows, stories about how horrible the world is, enough plot lines that are similar to each other.—
Annika Pham,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The delay seemed to Silva like one more indignity in a terrible series of events that began with her husband’s death in 2024.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The logic here is peak modern NBA, and the league wants to make being slightly below average more rewarding than being truly terrible.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Her Dispatch from the scene captured the moments of frightening confusion as high-ranking members of the government were whisked away from the Washington Hilton, where the event was held.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
27 Apr. 2026
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The ultimate scene packs a punch here — without spoiling things, Abigail Onwunali is particularly powerful in a role that Wilson saves till the eleventh hour, and Boone goes to places at once frightening and devastating.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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New video captured the horrifying moment a Florida police officer’s body camera stopped a bullet from piercing his chest while conducting a routine investigation last month.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
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In Apex, Theron plays Sasha, a rock climber dealing with the horrifying loss of her partner (Eric Bana).—
Emily Zemler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nightmarish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmarish. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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