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 The rest of the film quickly descends into various levels of nightmarish weirdness. — Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026 Set on a mysterious island ravaged by floods and warring armies, a masked boy and girl must traverse atmospheric environments, rescue friends, and confront nightmarish monsters. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 23 Oct. 2026 The nightmarish death prompted Six Flags to temporarily close nine similar coasters across North America. — Kate Brumback, Chicago Tribune, 13 Oct. 2026 The novel’s alternate realities are split like a nightmarish LP — the party in Silver Lake pops off on the A-side where, soon, most territories will be contested, and militias and gunfire will become ubiquitous. — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026 Sylvester Stallone might seem like a tough guy, but a nightmarish stint in jail during his youth scared him straight for life. — Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Oct. 2026 What begins with the promise of something genuinely nightmarish gradually deteriorates into a disappointingly conventional, occasionally laughable supernatural exercise. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026 Rodgers bounced back from a nightmarish performance in a dismal loss to New England by throwing for 292 yards and three touchdowns to outduel Joe Burrow as the Steelers pulled out a 30-27 thriller. — ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026 So far, the sequel is off to a nightmarish start, and neither Ballard nor Steichen should feel safe after being at the helm of such an embarrassing showing. — James Boyd, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmarish

Adjective

Thunder star Jalen Williams, the team’s second-leading scorer and best all-around defender during its title run two seasons ago, fractured a fibula and dislocated his left ankle in a gruesome injury Sunday.

— Andrew Greif, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2026
Rescue workers continue to search in the wreckage for survivors and bodies, with witnesses describing a gruesome scene.

— Anders Hagstrom, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of gruesome

Adjective

The battle is between that horrible atmosphere and some of the horrific candidates that have been nominated by the Democratic Party.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
The plot is carried out to horrific proportions, but the subjects are so utterly moronic that the gag stops being amusing.

— Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 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

In 2017, McDowell suffered another shocking loss when Paxton died following heart surgery.

— Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2026
The project follows Anna, who races to conceal the shocking truth about her best friend’s death on the night of her 21st birthday.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of shocking

Adjective

The bat lay on its back, soggy and wretched, here in the waning hours of this terrible day.

— Téa Obreht, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026
An ugly fight between teammates during training camp was a terrible start to a season that officially began with a loss against North Carolina, a game in Dublin that TCU essentially sold, against the desires of Dykes.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of terrible

Adjective

In Obsession’s most horrifying sequence, the audience senses something awful is about to unfold several beats before the frenzy of blunt-force head trauma actually takes place on screen.

— Chris Lee, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
That this attack was pulled off with seeming ease and the destruction was horrifying and devastating.

— Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 29 Oct. 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 3 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of nightmarish

adjective

Example Sentences

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