NIGHTMARISH Synonyms: 81 Similar and Opposite Words

nightmarish

adjective

Definition of nightmarish

as in gruesome

extremely disturbing or repellent a photographic exhibit of nightmarish images from the wars of the 20th century

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of nightmarish Quarterfinal Tuesday brought another somewhat nightmarish scenario for everyone except the true night owls. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 As Pattinson spends a long night trying to rescue his brother, the Safdies weave a nightmarish, impressionistic vision of New York that ranks among the most unsettling cinematic depictions of the city. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026 Maddie and Avery moved back from New York to help out as their mother tried to keep Little Flower going while dealing with dislocation and a nightmarish battle with her insurance company. — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 There's little parking at the Coliseum, meaning fans are forced into a nightmarish hellscape of distant structures, and the security lines are infamously awful at an old stadium. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026 The idea sounded at once mystical, therapeutic, and nightmarish. — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026 Which makes sense given that, nightmarish dystopian scenario or not, Scott’s movie isn’t science fiction. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026 What nightmarish scenarios would these two characters be facing? — Merrill Markoe, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026 But the nightmarish realms of the Further retain their unnerving power, and some of the old-school ghost movie thrills are well done. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmarish

Adjective

The Menendez brothers, imprisoned 37 years in the gruesome murder of their parents, are getting a second shot at freedom.

— Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
Simply to give us the gruesome scene of the kid convulsing to death while leaking blood from his eyes, nose, and mouth.

— Chris Klimek, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of gruesome

Adjective

For advocates, the law speaks to the horrific circumstances families can endure when a medical issue is misconstrued as abuse.

— Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026
This is your big opportunity to pay tribute, to be a uniter, not a divider, on the day recalling the horrific events of a quarter century ago.

— Ken Frydman, New York Daily News, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of horrific

Adjective

This is the nightmare scenario behind the Kessler syndrome, a cascading chain of collisions that could render entire orbital pathways unusable.

— Alan Bradley, Space.com, 2 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of nightmare

Adjective

That whole sequence with Troy and Susan at the start of this episode is just … shocking.

— Noel Murray, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Other films have handled the shocking deaths of romantic leads with more grace — Anne Hathaway riding her bike in front of a certain semi-truck in 2011 comes to mind — even while doing objectively less to ensure that they’re understood.

— Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of shocking

Adjective

Much has been written about the power of artificial intelligence to improve life in myriad ways, but also about its truly horrible effects—now and going forward—if it isn’t managed properly.

— Nadine Hack, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
But the horrible scenes that unfolded before him were incomparable.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of horrible

Adjective

The subjects bring insightful detail of frightening practices, and the filmmaking helps to underline the thematic commentary of the disconnect between levels of humanity.

— Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026
Como are playing some slick football under Cesc Fabregas, and while 21-year-old Nico Paz is still the shining star at the heart of every attack, Baturina has also clicked into a frightening gear.

— Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of frightening

Adjective

Even more horrifying than death was the thought of lying there, trapped beneath the rubble, listening to my two-year-old son desperately crying for help.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
That was the horrifying reality for a community in Ireland in fall 2025.

— Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of horrifying

Browse Nearby Words

nightmares

nightmarish

night owl

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“Nightmarish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmarish. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of nightmarish

adjective

Example Sentences

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