as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
a photographic exhibit of nightmarish images from the wars of the 20th century
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nightmarish
Adjective
-
The horrific apparent overdose came a day after a drug-dealing operator of a Bronx day care was sentenced to 45 years in prison for the death of a toddler exposed to fentanyl and the overdoses of three other children who survived.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
5 Mar. 2025 -
Read Next California Toddler disfigured by burns in ‘horrific’ child endangerment case in CA.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
On September 2, 1885, in one of the most gruesome episodes of racial terror in American history, a group of white miners killed at least twenty-eight Chinese residents in Rock Springs and burned down the town’s Chinese quarter.—
Michael Luo,
The New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2025
-
The Fallen Sun stands out not just as a cop procedural, but also as a thriller that never shys away from the gruesome nature of the killer’s crime spree.—
Sezin Koehler,
EW.com,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The newest Trump administration and the shocking vote that happened this week at the UN, the U.S. siding with North Korea in that vote.—
ABC NEWS,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2025
-
In the wake of such shocking, there is inevitable pain.—
Jay Nordlinger,
National Review,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Some compare Sanders to Geno Smith — not flattering, but not horrible.—
Troy Renck,
Orlando Sentinel,
2 Mar. 2025
-
Everybody's going to be thrown, according to , into all these horrible situations.—
Hugh Cameron,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
This is, on paper, a terrible idea for all involved.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Photo: Will Hart/NBC via Getty Images The Good-to-Know Smash is largely considered terrible.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
That an unelected tech billionaire has so much power over the American government is equal parts confusing and frightening.—
Caroline Mimbs Nyce,
The New Yorker,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Strong’s interpretation of Roy Cohn in The Apprentice was tragicomic and frightening stuff.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The harsh environment, mostly devoid of human presence, feels almost terrifying in its vastness—but that feeling quickly gives way to awe and excitement.—
Dobrina Zhekova,
Vogue,
4 Mar. 2025
-
The terrifying incident unfolded Saturday morning, shortly after the Boeing 767 lifted off from its runway at Newark Liberty Airport.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
1 Mar. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Nightmarish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nightmarish. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share