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
For the most part, the documentary takes a minute-by-minute look at that fateful morning, with so much intensity and nightmarish immediacy that there’s very little time or room to ask questions or think about anything beyond the next moment.
—
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2025
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
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
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2025
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
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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There are many moments in the trailer that showcase some horrific imagery, such as Nina screaming and crying, and what appears to be the character also holding a bloody shard of glass.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
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As users sought information about Kirk’s condition, the bot, Grok, declared to some of them that the horrific footage was satire.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But everything changes when a string of gruesome killings—which grow increasingly bizarre, with victims covered in rashes and found in deranged, violent states—involves his young daughter Hyo-jin (Kim Hwan-hee).—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
TikTok prohibits gory, gruesome or extremely violent clips.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 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 premiere also came with the shocking announcement of a double elimination next week.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
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The speed at which Kirk’s death became content was almost as shocking as the assassination itself.—
Marly Berlin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Can a horrible 17-year-old turn into a 31-year-old person with integrity and empathy?—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
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Can a 17-year-old horrible person turn into a 31-year-old person with integrity and empathy?—
R. Eric Thomas,
Denver Post,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Yes, there are so much terrible stuff online.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Sep. 2025
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But that obviously terrible call compromised the integrity of that game last night, and that's something the sport should be looking to avoid.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The frightening illness took place just two weeks after he was named MVP of his little league baseball team.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
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As the frightening futures foretold grow nearer, the details are also growing more precise.—
Zack Savitsky,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Every trip to the electric chair is horrifying; a sequence where an intentionally botched execution ignites a still-living prisoner's screaming head in ghoulish blue flames is up there with any supernatural fright King's ever conceived.—
James Grebey,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
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Absolutely horrifying to look at.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nightmarish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmarish. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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