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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of nightmare
Erin Qualey, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
This might sound like a nightmare to some people, but having dinner with a group of strangers, all looking to make new friends, is a thing!
—Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
Because the mattress is super customizable, each portion comes in a separate box, which is a bit of a nightmare as a single person lugging each box up four flights of stairs by herself.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 27 Feb. 2025
Dorr is a technical executive with the Electric Power Research Institute, where he gets paid to think about the nightmare scenarios for electrical equipment fires and test ways to prevent them.
—Jeff Young, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nightmare
Noun
Then she is escorted to a handful of rooms, nightmares looming behind each door.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
This might sound like a nightmare to some people, but having dinner with a group of strangers, all looking to make new friends, is a thing!
—Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
Because the mattress is super customizable, each portion comes in a separate box, which is a bit of a nightmare as a single person lugging each box up four flights of stairs by herself.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 27 Feb. 2025
Dorr is a technical executive with the Electric Power Research Institute, where he gets paid to think about the nightmare scenarios for electrical equipment fires and test ways to prevent them.
—Jeff Young, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nightmare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmare
Noun
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Just consider the agony of merging two or more sprawling thickets of technology.—
Forbes,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
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The death of this beautiful 12 year old girl and the agony of her mother and family touched our entire nation greatly.—
NPR,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Based on the memoir by Monique Smith, who endured a horrific childhood only to discover that her family wasn’t actually hers.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
5 Mar. 2025
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Read Next California Toddler disfigured by burns in ‘horrific’ child endangerment case in CA.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
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That system, Fritz Alphonse Jean said, has fueled immense misery and social inequalities as well as the current gang violence that has a desperate population urgently calling for help.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
8 Mar. 2025
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Indian spiritual leader and environmental campaigner Sadhguru has spoken to Newsweek about the nation's mental health, offering his secret to achieving a good state of mind by choosing joy or misery.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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On September 2, 1885, in one of the most gruesome episodes of racial terror in American history, a group of white miners killed at least twenty-eight Chinese residents in Rock Springs and burned down the town’s Chinese quarter.—
Michael Luo,
The New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2025
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The Fallen Sun stands out not just as a cop procedural, but also as a thriller that never shys away from the gruesome nature of the killer’s crime spree.—
Sezin Koehler,
EW.com,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Adjective
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It’s been a shocking decline for the stock, which went public in late January and has already lost around two-thirds of its value.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2025
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The implications of three shocking pieces of news have hardly registered—yet.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 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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Some compare Sanders to Geno Smith — not flattering, but not horrible.—
Troy Renck,
Orlando Sentinel,
2 Mar. 2025
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Everybody's going to be thrown, according to , into all these horrible situations.—
Hugh Cameron,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nightmare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmare. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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