Definition Synonyms
Definition of nightmare - Reverso English Dictionary
Noun
1.
sleepdisturbing or frightening dream
- She woke up screaming from a nightmare..
2.
emotiondifficult or terrifying situation causing anxiety
- The traffic jam was a nightmare.
3.
mythologyDated UK evil spirit believed to suffocate sleepersDated UK
- In folklore, a nightmare haunted the village.
Expressions with nightmare
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become very unpleasant or problematic
The vacation turned into a nightmare when we lost our luggage.
very distressing or frightening experience
The loss of her job turned her life into a living nightmare.
complex and frustrating bureaucratic process
Dealing with the paperwork was an administrative nightmare.
something very scary or disturbing
The horror movie was pure nightmare fuel.
feared event that has actually happened
The flood was a nightmare come true for the small town.
extremely unpleasant or frightening
The scene was like something out of a nightmare.
distressing situation that feels unreal
Losing his job and home felt like a waking nightmare.
comments on a chaotic or difficult experience
What a nightmare, everything went wrong at the event!
most terrible or feared thing that could happen
Losing my job was my worst nightmare.
very bad or stressful situation or experience
The traffic jam was an absolute nightmare!
trip filled with problems and difficulties
Getting stuck in traffic for hours turned it into a nightmare journey.
very bad situation causing fear or anxiety
The sudden loss of power was a nightmare scenario for the hospital.
frightening dream that happens repeatedly
She had a recurring nightmare about being chased by a monster.
very difficult situation caused by complex rules
Getting a visa turned into a bureaucratic nightmare.
very difficult situation to organize
The project turned into a scheduling nightmare with so many changes.
situation needing complex coordination beyond expectations
Organizing the festival became a logistical nightmare.
situation with severe logistical problems
The festival turned into a logistics nightmare due to poor planning.
book that is difficult to categorize
The genre-blending novel was a librarian's nightmare.
situation causing extreme difficulty for contractors
The sudden change in regulations became a contractor's nightmare.
Origin of nightmare
Old English, niht (night) + mare (goblin)
Terms with nightmare included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
horror
extremely frightening and unpleasant like a nightmare
experience
nightmare or terrible experience
nightmare
extreme unpleasantness or difficulty
Examples of nightmare in a sentence
The horror movie gave him a nightmare. Losing my passport was a nightmare. The power outage turned the event into a nightmare. A nightmare was said to lurk in the shadows. Villagers feared the nightmare's return at night.
View all translations of nightmare
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:cauchemar, situation cauchemardesque, ...
- German:Albtraum, Nachtmahr, ...
- Italian:incubo, spirito maligno, ...
- Spanish:pesadilla, calvario, ...
- Portuguese:pesadelo, incubo, ...
- Chinese:噩梦, 梦魇, ...
- Japanese:悪夢, 恐怖の体験, ...
- Arabic:كَابُوس, موقف كابوسي, ...
- Hebrew:סִיּוּט, רוּחַ רָעָה הַחוֹנֶקֶת יְשֵׁנִים, ...
- Russian:кошмар, ужас, ...
- Ukrainian:кошмар, жах, ...
- Hindi:दुःस्वप्न, भयानक स्थिति, ...
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