NIGHTMARE Synonyms: 116 Similar and Opposite Words

nightmare 1 of 2

noun

ˈnīt-ˌmer

Definition of nightmare

as in agony

a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness that 20-page exam was a nightmare

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

nightmare

2 of 2

adjective

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

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 nightmare

Noun

This isn’t what resilience, reliability or affordability look like, and this current nightmare was far from inevitable. — Lori Latham, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 The nightmare eventually turned into 48 restaurants and counting. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026

Adjective

This is the nightmare scenario behind the Kessler syndrome, a cascading chain of collisions that could render entire orbital pathways unusable. — Alan Bradley, Space.com, 2 Aug. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for nightmare

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmare

Noun

Bugs Bunny jams himself against the edge and grits his teeth in agony.

— Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
The striking bronze sculpture depicts an outstretched arm reaching to the sky as hundreds of small human figures cling to it and each other with expressions of agony.

— Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of agony

Adjective

The chilling new detail about Jesus Acosta’s horrific spree was revealed at the 31-year-old ex-con’s arraignment in Bronx Criminal Court late Sunday, where he was ordered held without bail for the two cold-blooded shootings.

— John Annese, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026
Then there is the horrific crash on the McHenry County side of the Fox River, where on July 25 Alan Telmini and Magdalena Jablonska, both from Des Plaines, were cruising the river south of the McHenry Dam.

— Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of horrific

Noun

Jordan, to whom scorn comes more naturally than grace, accuses him of envying the rest of the troupe’s ennobling misery.

— Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Some residents said hope is elusive given the island’s litany of miseries – from natural disasters to a bankrupt government to a financial control board that manages funding for infrastructure.

— Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of misery

Noun

This grief-horror debut centers on the Nakba, the 1948 Arab-Israeli War’s displacement of Palestinians.

— Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
There’s even a nod to 28 Days Later, with Zeta-Jones hobbling across a deserted Westminster Bridge in London wearing blue hospital scrubs, just like Cillian Murphy’s Jim in the 2002 horror movie.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of horror

Adjective

In front of adoring fans in Shanghai, the UFC veteran and perennial contender in the UFC bantamweight division scored a shocking upset win over Umar Nurmagomedov in the main event on Saturday.

— Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
The August nonfarm payrolls report that releases Friday will be coming off a low set of expectations, given the shocking loss of jobs in July.

— Sarah Min, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of shocking

Noun

The lawsuit claims that Quero Silva, as the top military authority in Barquisimeto, a city in central-western Venezuela, oversaw their torture in the headquarters of the National Guard in the region.

— Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
However, Pearl Fernandez and Isauro Aguirre were ultimately responsible for the torture and murder of Gabriel and were prosecuted for that, and they were convicted of that.

— Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of torture

Adjective

Anne Hathaway is a leftist, woke, horrible choice for DAYS OF THUNDER NASCAR audience who are MAGA.

— James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026
These two rubber bands in our throat are affected by everything from hormones to psychology to a bad day to a horrible night’s sleep to the sniffles or whatever.

— Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of horrible

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nightly

nightmare

nightmares

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“Nightmare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmare. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of nightmare

noun

adjective

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