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
Facing a nightmarish opponent, New Yorkers’ first response was to meet the moment with uncharacteristically cheerful jokes.
—
Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
Kwaidan has a lot to offer besides its nightmarish atmosphere, delving into romantic tragedy, war narratives, and fantasy.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026
Boy Hernandez is prepping for trial, and in the act reflecting on the American dream that has turned nightmarish.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
Kerkering earned the win, pitching for the first time at Dodger Stadium since the nightmarish end of the 2025 National League Division Series.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 31 May 2026
The film was completed before the Challenger disaster, leaving 20th Century Fox with something of a nightmarish choice on their hands—to shelve the film and lose millions, or send it to theaters and risk a PR disaster.
—Eric Berger & Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 31 May 2026
This put me at odds with the PTO, yes, and with many of my fellow parents, who defended the PTO and its actions with a truly nightmarish fervor.
—Hannah Selinger, PEOPLE, 30 May 2026
There is nothing more nightmarish for us Syrians than to be locked up again in the very prisons where so many thousands of us have died; for our mothers and fathers to have to return to the same doorsteps, to plead tearfully with the guards, to wait for a word, a rumor, a lie.
—Amer Matar, The Dial, 26 May 2026
An eerie, enchanting score by Rock Burwell giving the proceedings a dreamy, nightmarish quality.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 23 May 2026
Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
Kwaidan has a lot to offer besides its nightmarish atmosphere, delving into romantic tragedy, war narratives, and fantasy.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026
Boy Hernandez is prepping for trial, and in the act reflecting on the American dream that has turned nightmarish.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
Kerkering earned the win, pitching for the first time at Dodger Stadium since the nightmarish end of the 2025 National League Division Series.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 31 May 2026
The film was completed before the Challenger disaster, leaving 20th Century Fox with something of a nightmarish choice on their hands—to shelve the film and lose millions, or send it to theaters and risk a PR disaster.
—Eric Berger & Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 31 May 2026
This put me at odds with the PTO, yes, and with many of my fellow parents, who defended the PTO and its actions with a truly nightmarish fervor.
—Hannah Selinger, PEOPLE, 30 May 2026
There is nothing more nightmarish for us Syrians than to be locked up again in the very prisons where so many thousands of us have died; for our mothers and fathers to have to return to the same doorsteps, to plead tearfully with the guards, to wait for a word, a rumor, a lie.
—Amer Matar, The Dial, 26 May 2026
An eerie, enchanting score by Rock Burwell giving the proceedings a dreamy, nightmarish quality.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 23 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmarish
Adjective
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This episode is both incredibly gruesome and incredibly funny, and the show maintains an excellent balance between the two extremes.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
10 June 2026
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On Monday evening, protesters burned down a bus as tensions rose in Belfast following the gruesome stabbing, despite earlier calls from authorities for calm.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
Adjective
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In 1984, following Operation Blue Star, the assassination of India's prime minister by her Sikh bodyguard triggered horrific mob violence that killed thousands of Sikhs across the country, pushing many more to flee.—
Akash Pamarthy,
NPR,
6 June 2026
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In this true crime documentary, Emmy-winning filmmaker Liz Garbus and her team examine the timeline leading up to the horrific incident, offering a different explanation behind one of New York's worst motor vehicle accidents.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
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.—
Eduardo Tansley,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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This is the nightmare scenario for California Democrats.—
Tom Charron,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Here are the five most shocking moments from Dutton Ranch season 1, episode 6.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
13 June 2026
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While this may seem shocking, the most important variables found by Yartseva are informative.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
Adjective
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The companies try to slow down this process by submerging it in oil, but the resulting flavor is horrible.—
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner,
Martha Stewart,
13 June 2026
-
Your cab driver is taking you on a horrible route.—
Zach Schiffman,
Curbed,
12 June 2026
Adjective
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In 2012, a powerful quake visited terrible damage on the city of Modena, Bottura’s home and host to his restaurant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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The letter writer’s cousin has cancer, and the chemo gives her terrible side effects.—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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The frightening encounter began several years ago when her daughter texted her from school complaining of pain just above her belly button.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
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Vampires, deadly disasters, and creeps are among those who help these frightening flicks scare the hell out of audiences.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 June 2026
Adjective
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The most horrifying fact Garcia shared was that a wound as tiny as a tick bite or a scratch can attract a female screwfly to lay her eggs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
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Spending one night in such conditions is already a horrifying thought, but spending several years is an unthinkable ordeal.—
Pavlo Fedykovych,
CNN Money,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nightmarish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmarish. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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