as in agony
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
that 20-page exam was a nightmare
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
survivors of a nuclear holocaust would surely face a nightmare existence
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nightmare
Notan Eva Costa, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2025
And in the midst of it all, Alex Cora revealed his worst robotic nightmare.
—Jayson Stark, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
What began as a dream weekend for Lewis Hamilton at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai turned into a nightmare following his disqualification from the race.
—Yara Elshebiny, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
Fact checked by Sarah Scott Discovering something alarming about your kid is a nightmare scenario for parents struggling to monitor things like their friendships or online habits—and for good reason.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nightmare
Noun
Words can’t describe the painful nightmare of this last year.
—Notan Eva Costa, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2025
And in the midst of it all, Alex Cora revealed his worst robotic nightmare.
—Jayson Stark, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
What began as a dream weekend for Lewis Hamilton at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai turned into a nightmare following his disqualification from the race.
—Yara Elshebiny, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
Fact checked by Sarah Scott Discovering something alarming about your kid is a nightmare scenario for parents struggling to monitor things like their friendships or online habits—and for good reason.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nightmare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmare
Noun
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With espresso especially, the right grinder can be the difference between ecstasy, agony, and simple defeat.—
Matthew Korfhage,
Wired News,
1 Apr. 2025
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According to the outlet, the agony caused Cornett to remove her name outside her dorm room, temporarily relocate to emergency housing, switch to online classes and continue to spend most of her time in her room.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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With that horrific risk in mind, the crew hatches a new plan.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2025
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Viscerally horrific, conceptually mindblowing, achingly humane.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Ultimately, what is likely driving the protests is that these Palestinians are exhausted from the sheer misery Hamas has brought upon them.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2025
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Despite on-ice misery, the Flyers have packed at least 18,000 fans for every game during their last two homestands.—
Hailey Salvian,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Thoughtful, but gruesome is an apt descriptor for the film as well.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
5 Apr. 2025
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This was true of Fury (2015) as well, his brutal and gruesome war drama featuring Brad Pitt as a tank commander in the final days of World War II leading a platoon of hardened, traumatized, broken soldiers.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Triggers Sudden Bitcoin Price ‘Crisis Scenario’ Fear 'Hell Of A Summer' Became A Journey Some Didn’t Expect Inspired by a blend of coming-of-age, horror, and comedy films, Hell of a Summer follows 24-year-old camp counselor Jason Hochberg, played by Thelma and The White Lotus' Fred Hechinger.—
Simon Thompson,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
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For the first half of the 10-episode debut season, the doctors grapple with the horrors the hurricane has wrought, all in one 24-hour shift.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The couple shared their shocking experience in a now-viral TikTok video, warning others about the dangers of unsafe food handling.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Leaders around the world have responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s shocking new tariffs that threaten to upend the global economy with stern words and denunciations.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Perhaps the most famous contemporary example is China’s imprisonment and torture of artist-activist Ai Weiwei in 2011, who has been living in exile since 2015.—
Christine Ledbetter,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2025
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His Divine Holiness, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism — fled India after being accused of rape, torture and child abuse.—
Mujib Mashal,
New York Times,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But then two horrible shifts by the Wild turned the game upside down in the blink of an eye.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
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Some veterans have impressed at the midpoint of coach Mike Norvell's spring-practice rebuilding as FSU aims to recover from last year's horrible campaign.—
Bob Ferrante,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nightmare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmare. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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