as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
a photographic exhibit of nightmarish images from the wars of the 20th century
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Recent Examples of nightmarish
Evoking Sean Baker in its style, a whirlwind 10-minute opening sequence — sweatily shot by Adam Newport-Berra and feverishly cut by editors Taylor Levy and Sofía Subercaseaux to a steady, heavy throb of bass — establishes this world to either seductive or nightmarish effect.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 May 2026
The percussive score by Joseph Shirley and Moses Sumney underlines this, and gives the whole film an eerie, curious atmosphere, lending to a sense of nightmarish unreality.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 15 May 2026
The ongoing crises of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, coupled with alcohol use, have made for a nightmarish liver landscape.
—Lev Facher, STAT, 12 May 2026
The high summer gloom magnified the nightmarish fairytale of it all.
—Eli Raphael, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026
While this may be great for the avid sports fan, traffic will be nightmarish for anyone driving in or around the South Philly Sports Complex area this week and weekend, and playoff overlaps have already postponed other events at the stadiums.
—Kaitlyn McCormick, USA Today, 6 May 2026
The longer and more interesting answer is that, although there is no direct evidence that Odysseus existed, fought a war, and then suffered a nightmarish journey home to Ithaca, his story contains elements of historical memory and geographical accuracy.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026
When Lydia wakes from her own nightmarish sleep, Vivian’s seat is empty.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026
The Phillies on Tuesday fired manager Rob Thomson, the owner of the highest managerial winning percentage in franchise history who guided them to four postseason appearances in four years, but now bears the brunt of a nightmarish beginning to the 2026 season.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 May 2026
The percussive score by Joseph Shirley and Moses Sumney underlines this, and gives the whole film an eerie, curious atmosphere, lending to a sense of nightmarish unreality.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 15 May 2026
The ongoing crises of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, coupled with alcohol use, have made for a nightmarish liver landscape.
—Lev Facher, STAT, 12 May 2026
The high summer gloom magnified the nightmarish fairytale of it all.
—Eli Raphael, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026
While this may be great for the avid sports fan, traffic will be nightmarish for anyone driving in or around the South Philly Sports Complex area this week and weekend, and playoff overlaps have already postponed other events at the stadiums.
—Kaitlyn McCormick, USA Today, 6 May 2026
The longer and more interesting answer is that, although there is no direct evidence that Odysseus existed, fought a war, and then suffered a nightmarish journey home to Ithaca, his story contains elements of historical memory and geographical accuracy.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026
When Lydia wakes from her own nightmarish sleep, Vivian’s seat is empty.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026
The Phillies on Tuesday fired manager Rob Thomson, the owner of the highest managerial winning percentage in franchise history who guided them to four postseason appearances in four years, but now bears the brunt of a nightmarish beginning to the 2026 season.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmarish
Adjective
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The teens recorded their attack Monday and the gruesome 10 minute video was widely shared to a website where people post videos depicting extreme violence.—
Anna Schecter,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
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Similarly economical and granularly detailed is a 20-minute sequence in the middle of the film that’s gruesome, comical and crucial to the propulsion of the story.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
19 May 2026
Adjective
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And also, the way that the wish is impacting Bear is ultimately horrific.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
18 May 2026
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But a new era of DEI was ushered in after the horrific murder of George Floyd.—
Janice Gassam Asare,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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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
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This is the nightmare scenario for California Democrats.—
Tom Charron,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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As shocking as this slush fund is, it should best be understood as one more test for what the administration can get away with.—
The Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 May 2026
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Slaten endured a shocking meltdown, allowing a pair of two-run home runs that put the Twins ahead in Boston’s eventual 8-6 loss.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
23 May 2026
Adjective
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Which is horrible, just that amount of women being murdered.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
17 May 2026
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Hmmm, a book about climate change, economic hardship, labor shortages, rising food prices, and a family having a horrible time?—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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Residents describe ‘a terrible night’ More than 30 people were injured in the apartment building collapse, while emergency workers rescued 28 residents, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.—
Samya Kullab,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
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And some were not kind to him on social media following the terrible first round.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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Eidinger is perfect for the role, and his escalating temper tantrums — almost camp at first, with delicious echoes of Christoph Waltz’s Hans Landa — become frightening in their intensity.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
18 May 2026
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But at Medley Club, residents never lost power during the entire frightening ordeal.—
Jeffrey Steele,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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In the end, Bill Skarsgård returned as the horrifying clown Pennywise, which was always the plan from the start.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
11 May 2026
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Aside from unpredictable fellow patients — some of whom are prone to violent outbursts — Pepper also has horrifying visions of a demonic beast.—
Eric Andersson,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nightmarish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmarish. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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