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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nightmare
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025
Rita’s and Tyson’s journeys took them through unthinkable nightmares most people live very far from.
—Kevin Fagan, TIME, 4 Feb. 2025
Zippered Pouches Lost pieces are every puzzle lover’s nightmare.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2025
Being confined to a classroom with fear for your own life is a nightmare that no one should have to experience.
—Liam Quinn, People.com, 4 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for nightmare 
Noun
The killing of Jesse Kendall was every suburban parent’s nightmare — their teenager heading into the city for a night out and never coming back home.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025
Rita’s and Tyson’s journeys took them through unthinkable nightmares most people live very far from.
—Kevin Fagan, TIME, 4 Feb. 2025
Zippered Pouches Lost pieces are every puzzle lover’s nightmare.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2025
Being confined to a classroom with fear for your own life is a nightmare that no one should have to experience.
—Liam Quinn, People.com, 4 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for nightmare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmare
Noun
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The woman continued to experience abdominal pain for years after her procedure, but the source of the agony could not be explained by her doctors, the lawsuit said.—
Kate Linderman,
Kansas City Star,
7 Feb. 2025
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As Dieter screamed in agony, Kier fled to the waterfall to escape the sound.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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With snipers on rooftops, military vehicles on the streets and troops and cops everywhere, Trump was scheduled to meet with families of those killed and injured in the horrific New Year’s Day attack in NOLA.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
9 Feb. 2025
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Contemplating nuclear war and the prospect of telling this horrific news to my radio audience at 9:30 in the morning of Feb. 20, 1971 still haunts me today.—
Steve Koester,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Isn’t a life without mountains of money better than a life monopolized by misery?—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
7 Feb. 2025
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The act led to retaliatory tariffs by other countries and is widely seen as exacerbating the economic misery of the Depression.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Friday’s 102-86 setback in Brooklyn - marked by a gruesome fourth quarter in which Miami was outscored 31-9 – left the Heat at 25-25.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
8 Feb. 2025
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Osgood Perkins is back in his horror bag to bring the short story from Stephen King to the big screen, following twin brothers Bill and Hal, who find their father's old toy monkey in the attic, an event which leads to a series of gruesome deaths.—
Anders Fogh Rasmussen,
Newsweek,
4 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Fans of legendary filmmaker George Romero are pushing to preserve a piece of horror film history – a suburban mall with an uncertain future.—
Chrissy Suttles,
Axios,
14 Feb. 2025
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Another 20th title, the Sam Raimi horror movie Send Help starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien, will open on January 30, 2026.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Head coach Kevin O'Connell won Coach of the Year after the team secured a shocking 14-3 record.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
15 Feb. 2025
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The escalating tension of that final act is as shocking and violent and viciously cold as anything in Franco’s filmography, which has seldom shied away from stark depictions of human cruelty — whether intimate in scale, like After Lucia, or encompassing explosive societal conflict, like New Order.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
15 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Hundreds of protesters have been arrested, of whom more than 300 allege suffering beatings, torture and other ill-treatment at the hands of law enforcement, according to Amnesty International.—
Elizabeth McBride,
CNN,
15 Feb. 2025
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Five New Yorkers have been charged with murder in the death of a missing 24-year-old trans man, whose body was found left in a field after enduring months of torture and abuse, according to New York State Police.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile the parents had suffered years of horrible harassment and death threats from Jones’ followers.—
Rochelle Eastman,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
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The aerospace business is growing at a fast clip, but the warehouse automation business within the industrial automation unit has been horrible.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
6 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near nightmare
Cite this Entry
“Nightmare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmare. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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