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
Sprawling, fearsome scenes of battle unfurl with a nightmarish, exhaustively detailed authenticity.
—
Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Apr. 2026
But somewhere along the way, mostly in recent years, the lamb cake took a weird turn as people began posting photos of their scary, creepy, nightmarish lamb cake fails.
—Lisa Gutierrez
april 3, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2026
The relationship between legendary comedienne Deborah Vance and millennial writer Ava Daniels has gone through ups, downs, fantastic successes, and nightmarish lawsuits.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2026
The main characters take a fictional drug without food, and that mistake puts them through a half-dozen nightmarish phases.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026
Kyle Backhus had a nightmarish Opening Day, then walked the leadoff batter Sunday in what was a scoreless inning.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Then last season’s nightmarish problems closing games carried over into 2026.
—Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Mar. 2026
The nightmarish sequence spoiled a night that began with the Angels showing more promising signs at the plate.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2026
Dean Puckett, United Kingdom, 2025 A single mother and her child are put through a nightmarish ordeal when a politician knocks on their door.
—William Earl, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Apr. 2026
But somewhere along the way, mostly in recent years, the lamb cake took a weird turn as people began posting photos of their scary, creepy, nightmarish lamb cake fails.
—Lisa Gutierrez
april 3, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2026
The relationship between legendary comedienne Deborah Vance and millennial writer Ava Daniels has gone through ups, downs, fantastic successes, and nightmarish lawsuits.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2026
The main characters take a fictional drug without food, and that mistake puts them through a half-dozen nightmarish phases.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026
Kyle Backhus had a nightmarish Opening Day, then walked the leadoff batter Sunday in what was a scoreless inning.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Then last season’s nightmarish problems closing games carried over into 2026.
—Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Mar. 2026
The nightmarish sequence spoiled a night that began with the Angels showing more promising signs at the plate.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2026
Dean Puckett, United Kingdom, 2025 A single mother and her child are put through a nightmarish ordeal when a politician knocks on their door.
—William Earl, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmarish
Adjective
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Getting cleared of a gruesome crime has boosted his social cache in his upper-class neighborhood of Westmont Village, a fictional New York suburb.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
3 Apr. 2026
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And in another gruesome moment, there is a frightening shot of dozens of wedding guests covered in blood, with bodies strewn across a banquet hall.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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There are people like Les Wexner and Leon Black who have allegedly had such horrific abuse and there has not been any investigations.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Because their firstborn son had just died, and so that was horrific.—
Marc Weingarten,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 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
-
This is the nightmare scenario for California Democrats.—
Tom Charron,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Marin stuck to her plan of staying close until a moment that changed everything with shocking swiftness — her changing her mind and going for the green on the par-5 13th for a go-ahead birdie, and Talley adding to the sad history of collapses on the back nine at the home of the Masters.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
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Emma’s shocking admission rattles the entire wedding party, particularly Haim’s Rachel, whose cousin was left paralyzed by an act of gun violence.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Zack James’ shifty drumming hammers out a drum ’n’ bass redux like a panicked heartbeat while Carney Hemler’s bass lurches in slow motion, replicating the gut drop of a horrible realization.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Fendelman captured that horrible silence in the doc, punctuated by Littlejohn’s niece screaming, feral and raw.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This is a terrible blow against reform and the Dems should be ashamed.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Here are five novels that have been tied to terrible crimes.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
How about the less-frightening scenarios?—
Craig MacLellan,
Boston Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
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Now, parents who haven’t experienced the frightening effects of the highly contagious and fast-moving infection are increasingly opting out of vaccinating their kids against Hib.—
Erika Edwards,
NBC news,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Then there were a series of deadly chemical attacks in Syria, including a particularly horrifying attack in Ghouta that left hundreds of people—including children—dead.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Emma’s past behavior is very specific and horrifying to consider, yet what makes The Drama broadly appealing is Charlie’s anxiety about it.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nightmarish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmarish. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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