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

Their postseason turned into a nightmare almost immediately in the Cubs’ 8-0 loss in which they were held to three hits during Game 1 of the wild-card series against the Padres at Petco Park. — Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026 Hitler wanted more dead, but his early lightning victories—Poland beaten in weeks, France in forty days—had turned into a grinding nightmare for the Nazis. — Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 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

When John reveals the Halogram to Kerry (after fair warning), the look on her face is a mix of shock and agony.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026
Burns, 28, dropped to the ground in agony on his 25th snap of the Giants’ narrow 12-7 win over the Tennessee Titans.

— Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of agony

Adjective

My heart goes out to her family, friends, and everyone who is affected by this horrific incident.

— Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
In late August, a horrific but fortunately injury-free blaze at the Folsom Flea Market wreaked havoc on a number of small local businesses operating out of the space.

— Aaron Davis, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of horrific

Noun

Cubs fans generally don’t care about the Sox, so their misery was focused solely on their team’s no-show performance at Petco Park.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
The origin story helps contextualize the misery and self-isolation of Cathy’s later years, as the madam of a Salinas whorehouse.

— Alison Herman, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of misery

Adjective

Against the backdrop of a gruesome day, the Hebrew-language movie unfolds individual emotions and lives both before and during the attack, everyday problems of course not stopping with the tragedy, just interacting with it.

— Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
For centuries, this scene has been believed to show Harold’s gruesome end.

— Alicja Zelazko, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of gruesome

Noun

The film fuses horror and crime with Hong Kong spiritual folklore, and is aimed at fans of midnight movies and cult cinema.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
There will be relief in France at the interior minister’s decision to ban one type of police grenade, as the injuries suffered by some teenage protesters has sparked widespread horror.

— Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of horror

Noun

After decades of repression, Egyptians were shaken by the brutal 2010 torture and killing of Khaled Saeed, a 28-year-old from Alexandria, who the police claimed had died after swallowing a packet of drugs.

— Abdelrahman ElGendy, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
In the Harry Potter books themselves, attempted murder and torture are ok if the Right People do them.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of torture

Adjective

Hill is a free agent after a horrible injury suffered last season.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026
Ashley Flynn’s sister, Kayla Keyt, said during her victim statement that her family could not overcome their sense of shock and despair after learning that Flynn betrayed them in such a violent and horrible way.

— Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 5 Oct. 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 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of nightmare

noun

adjective

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