as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
a photographic exhibit of nightmarish images from the wars of the 20th century
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Then last season’s nightmarish problems closing games carried over into 2026.
—
Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Mar. 2026
The nightmarish sequence spoiled a night that began with the Angels showing more promising signs at the plate.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2026
The relationship between legendary comedienne Deborah Vance and millennial writer Ava Daniels has gone through ups, downs, fantastic successes, and nightmarish lawsuits.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 28 Mar. 2026
Others are more pointed; her recounting of an attempt to make a new friend and the disastrous dinner party that ensued, a nightmarish experience on the set of an (unnamed) indie movie set, a nightmarish experience becoming a member of an (unnamed) celebrity and influencer gym in Los Angeles.
—Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2026
Dean Puckett, United Kingdom, 2025 A single mother and her child are put through a nightmarish ordeal when a politician knocks on their door.
—William Earl, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
Just missing the cut here are Jake Bird, who had a nightmarish introduction with the Yankees last summer, and Kervin Castro, who has impressed Boone this spring.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
The decade was, of course, a nightmarish time to be gay.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
The winter wonderland turns nightmarish after a car explosion, which Beabadoobee walks through unbothered.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2026
Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Mar. 2026
The nightmarish sequence spoiled a night that began with the Angels showing more promising signs at the plate.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2026
The relationship between legendary comedienne Deborah Vance and millennial writer Ava Daniels has gone through ups, downs, fantastic successes, and nightmarish lawsuits.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 28 Mar. 2026
Others are more pointed; her recounting of an attempt to make a new friend and the disastrous dinner party that ensued, a nightmarish experience on the set of an (unnamed) indie movie set, a nightmarish experience becoming a member of an (unnamed) celebrity and influencer gym in Los Angeles.
—Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2026
Dean Puckett, United Kingdom, 2025 A single mother and her child are put through a nightmarish ordeal when a politician knocks on their door.
—William Earl, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
Just missing the cut here are Jake Bird, who had a nightmarish introduction with the Yankees last summer, and Kervin Castro, who has impressed Boone this spring.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
The decade was, of course, a nightmarish time to be gay.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
The winter wonderland turns nightmarish after a car explosion, which Beabadoobee walks through unbothered.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmarish
Adjective
-
The gruesome images of tanks blown apart by drones in Ukraine did not dissuade anyone from purchasing these systems.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Because of his ability to appeal to jurors with at times folksy explanations of gruesome subjects like the dynamic of blood spatter, prosecution and defense lawyers competed for his testimony at trials.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The horrific shooting has rocked the Plainville community, with its reverberations being felt throughout the state.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
-
A lot of his struggles stemmed from the Raiders’ horrific offensive line.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
This is the nightmare scenario for California Democrats.—
Tom Charron,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The exhibition pairs their work together, showing the value of shocking style in a moment of conservatism.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Pastor Stephen Perumalla said the circumstances are shocking.—
Tony Aiello,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This is going to be a horrible, terrible, no-good, very bad day.—
Nathan Rott,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
-
In another case, a 10-year-old girl contracted horrible lesions on 10 percent of her body — mostly on her legs — after contact with giant hogweed.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This is a terrible blow against reform and the Dems should be ashamed.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Here are five novels that have been tied to terrible crimes.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The idea of frightening children into basic courtesy scares Miss Manners.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Facing the future may mean confronting difficult questions and frightening scenarios.—
Kat McGowan,
NPR,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
People sometimes got a horrifying glimpse of a fellow traveler in pajamas.—
Alexandra Petri,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
-
In court Wednesday, Patricia explained those horrifying moments.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nightmarish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmarish. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
