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
Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 22 July 2025
But one former Treasury staffer told Fortune that increasing the procedural legwork for an operation as big as Medicaid by the deadline of January 2027 may be a customer-service nightmare waiting to happen.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 22 July 2025
For someone like my narrator, who has a lot to hide, but who also just wants to be left alone, this is a nightmare.
—Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 20 July 2025
The 25-year-old truck — and the nightmare — picked up speed.
—Katherine Laidlaw, HubSpot, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for nightmare
Noun
That would be a security nightmare at Wrigley, with almost no space outside the two clubhouses.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 22 July 2025
But one former Treasury staffer told Fortune that increasing the procedural legwork for an operation as big as Medicaid by the deadline of January 2027 may be a customer-service nightmare waiting to happen.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 22 July 2025
For someone like my narrator, who has a lot to hide, but who also just wants to be left alone, this is a nightmare.
—Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 20 July 2025
The 25-year-old truck — and the nightmare — picked up speed.
—Katherine Laidlaw, HubSpot, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for nightmare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmare
Noun
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With his wife in agony, Jason Nixdorf had a chance encounter with Zach Veigulis, a former chief data scientist at the Department of Veterans Affairs who was co-founding a company to help patients battle insurance company denials.—
Gretchen Morgenson,
NBC news,
18 July 2025
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Thank God that my family members could get vaccinated and have been free of the pain and agony of these illnesses.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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California homeowner’s insurance premiums were already rising before the horrific Southern California wildfires in January.—
Scott Cohn,
CNBC,
11 July 2025
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Family recounts parents' efforts to save children The family of the two children who died in the flooding recounted in a GoFundMe page the horrific moment floodwaters swept the young siblings away and the desperate attempt by their parents to save their lives.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
Noun
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Their relative misery even exceeds that of the Afghans and Iraqis.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
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Meanwhile, Trump’s tariffs, his big, ugly budget bill, and the havoc that his immigration raids are spreading in the vulnerable industries of agriculture, hospitality and construction will inflict misery on all but the wealthiest sectors of the economy.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
18 July 2025
Adjective
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But the gruesome truth remains — more than 120 are people are dead, including children.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
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Other all-original haunted houses will include Jason Universe, which takes guests back to the summer camp where, one Friday the 13th, the gruesome legend was born.—
Tom Tapp,
Deadline,
10 July 2025
Noun
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The 39-year-old led The Good Half in 2023 and starred in the horror thriller X in 2022.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
3 Aug. 2025
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This year, horror accounts for 17% of North American ticket sales, according to Comscore box-office data.—
Phillip Valys,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Contract disputes involving All-Pro members of the Dallas Cowboys are hardly shocking this time of year.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Aug. 2025
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The Too Much creator recently shared her vision for a film based on the shocking affair between Tom Sandoval and Rachel Leviss that was unpacked during the Bravo reality show’s Season 10 reunion in 2023, as Sandoval’s estranged ex Ariana Madix had the chance to confront them both.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
2 Aug. 2025
Noun
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But the way the wolves attack the cattle amounts to torture, the pair said.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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The result is remarkable: a wave of primary pointillism as a lone figure aided by supporting hands pushes away a grey tableau of grim torture.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Because of Denise Gough's human frailty as a woman destroyed by her own ambition and Kyle Soller's cowardice in the face of a horrible truth.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
23 July 2025
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Soak up the gall of losing, absorb the horrible information, feel it to the full, go there—and then rebound, with superb elasticity.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
22 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nightmare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmare. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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