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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nightmare
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 18 Feb. 2025
They ultimately got married and returned in season 2 for a vacation at the White Lotus in Sicily, but their romantic trip turned into a fatal nightmare for Tanya since Greg hired men to kill her in order to inherit all her money.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 17 Feb. 2025
South Carolina presents a matchup nightmare for the Huskies with one of the deepest benches in the country, headlined by an elite front-court rotation.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2025
At a time when real life can feel like a nightmare, a collective turn toward the ghoulish and the ghastly might seem counterintuitive, but the Gothic genre has always offered a space to examine the darkest corners of the human psyche.
—M.l. Rio, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nightmare
Noun
What felt at the time like a nightmare is now the cause of a great deal of introspection.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 18 Feb. 2025
They ultimately got married and returned in season 2 for a vacation at the White Lotus in Sicily, but their romantic trip turned into a fatal nightmare for Tanya since Greg hired men to kill her in order to inherit all her money.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 17 Feb. 2025
South Carolina presents a matchup nightmare for the Huskies with one of the deepest benches in the country, headlined by an elite front-court rotation.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2025
At a time when real life can feel like a nightmare, a collective turn toward the ghoulish and the ghastly might seem counterintuitive, but the Gothic genre has always offered a space to examine the darkest corners of the human psyche.
—M.l. Rio, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nightmare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmare
Noun
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Challenges of rebuilding Victims who lost homes will be faced with the decision whether to rebuild — which can be agony.—
Tony Saavedra,
Orange County Register,
24 Feb. 2025
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Then, Cara’s killshot was followed by her screams of agony at her dire circumstances.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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On the left, contemporary progressives have denounced the original progressive for his horrific opinions of black Americans.—
Christian Schneider,
National Review,
20 Feb. 2025
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Once the fighting stops the horrific Russian losses of men and machines become daily additions to the armed forces.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
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One of the few remaining positives in his life is upended before the pilot comes to a close, pushing poor Ted that much further into misery.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
23 Feb. 2025
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Human misery and environmental devastation proved the cost of turning coffee from a luxury good into a staple.—
Peter S. Goodman,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The gruesome murder occurred after an argument about fraudulent credit card charges, prosecutors said.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
20 Feb. 2025
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Over everything hovers the gruesome mystery of birth, that unnerving manifestation of female destiny by which a small person is formed within a larger one and bursts out like the alien in Alien.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
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People need to continue to show up to town halls and political events to express their dismay and horror at the prospect of Trump and Musk demolishing social safety nets and health, safety, and economic regulation.—
Leah Litman,
TIME,
28 Feb. 2025
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The video for the single captures the singer literally running away from the horrors hiding beneath the surface February 28, 2025 The new Lizzo era is here.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This gripping series takes viewers into insidious modern-day cults through the unique lens of members who endured unspeakable trauma and the shocking investigations into these oppressive groups.—
Katcy Stephan,
Variety,
27 Feb. 2025
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The shocking move by Topuria left the door open for Volkanovski to return to featherweight for an immediate title fight against Lopes.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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But the two youngest children, Russell and Eve, were taken with Ruby in the move to Ivins — and were subjected to cruel torture at the hands of their mother and her business partner.—
Lynsey Eidell,
People.com,
28 Feb. 2025
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Camarena’s body was found a month later with evidence of torture and abuse.—
Greg Wehner,
Fox News,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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There are so many horrible things happening in the world.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2025
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Things that are too horrible to show are effectively submerged in the murk, an effective analogy for the workings of memory.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
15 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nightmare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmare. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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