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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of nightmare
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
But Charter already has more debt coming in line for its Cox takeover, and the regulatory process for Comcast would be a nightmare to untangle (at the state level, if not the federal level), so maybe the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.
—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
29 June 2026
Eduardo Tansley,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
This is the nightmare scenario for California Democrats.
—
Tom Charron,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nightmare
Noun
Perhaps the composer dreamed of a future performance like the one in Ojai; his music rejects the nightmare of history and goes in search of ultimate serenity.
—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
But Charter already has more debt coming in line for its Cox takeover, and the regulatory process for Comcast would be a nightmare to untangle (at the state level, if not the federal level), so maybe the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.
—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
29 June 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
See All Example Sentences for nightmare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmare
Noun
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Adding to Rezaeian’s agony, right before the final whistle another potential clincher, a header from Khalilzadeh, hit the crossbar.
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The agony of Sudan runs deep; its history is crisscrossed with blood.
Adjective
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Chicago city officials have never forgotten the lessons of the historic and horrific heat wave of July 1995, which killed 739 people in the Chicago area.
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Many of these countries are well known for horrific human rights abuses, lack of justice and abysmal detention conditions.
Noun
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The Charlotte region will start feeling like a frying pan come Wednesday, and forecasters expect the sticky misery to linger into next week.
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But the misery of the heat would add to the story told over natural wine at a bar back home.
Adjective
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Chris Brown was found liable by a Los Angeles jury on Tuesday for $13 million in the gruesome case of a dog that mauled and disfigured his housekeeper at his home in 2020.
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But as the days dragged on, headlines about power outages and water shortages took a back seat to a far more gruesome and horrific reality.
Noun
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Wingate weaves this historical horror with a modern-day mystery, illustrating the lasting trauma of children stolen for profit and the unbreakable bond of blood.
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Now, will Hollywood actually learn anything from the success of the low-budget horror flick?
Adjective
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Cape Verde began this run by making a statement, producing a shocking 0-0 draw against soccer powerhouse Spain on June 15 in its first-ever World Cup match.
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The Packers then blew a 21-3 halftime lead in the Wild Card round against Chicago, gave up 25 fourth quarter points and eventually suffered a shocking 31-27 loss to the arch-rival Bears.
Noun
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Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb said al-Salem will face a trial of facts next year on murder and torture allegations but he won't be required to appear in court.
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In 2019, David and Louise Turpin pleaded guilty to torture and years of abuse that included shackling some of their 13 children at their home in California, starving them and providing only a minimal education.
Adjective
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The Red Sox offense has been horrible this season, but Contreras has been everything the club could have hoped for.
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Your cab driver is taking you on a horrible route.
Cite this Entry
“Nightmare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmare. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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