nightmare

nightmare — noun

1. a dream that causes strong feelings of fear or distress, often vivid enough to w

1.nounB1
Definition

a dream that causes strong feelings of fear or distress, often vivid enough to wake the person up

Example

After the horror film, Mert had a nightmare about being chased through a dark forest.

have a nightmare about [something] — common verb + preposition pattern

Kwame woke in a cold sweat, shaken by a terrifying nightmare that felt completely real.

Common collocations
  • have a nightmare
  • wake from a nightmare
  • recurring nightmare
  • terrifying nightmare
  • bad nightmare
  • nightmare about
Synonyms
  • bad dream

    less intense; covers any unpleasant dream, not just terrifying ones

  • sleep terror

    medical term for a more intense disorder that can involve screaming and thrashing

Antonyms
  • sweet dream

    informal; a pleasant dream, often used as a bedtime wish (good night, sweet dreams)

  • pleasant dream

    neutral; a dream that leaves the sleeper feeling happy or peaceful

Grammar Patterns

have + a + nightmare

a + adjective + nightmare

Usage Note

Often modified by adjectives such as terrifying, frightening, bad, or recurring to indicate the nature or frequency of the dream. This sense is always countable — you can have one nightmare or many nightmares, but not 'some nightmare' as an uncountable mass.

Common Mistakes

I had a nightmare about missing the bus this morning.
I had a bad dream about missing the bus this morning.
'nightmare' describes a deeply frightening dream, not a mildly unpleasant one.

2. a situation, event, or experience that is extremely unpleasant, frightening, or

2.nounB1
Definition

a situation, event, or experience that is extremely unpleasant, frightening, or difficult to manage, like a very bad dream

Example

The school trip became a nightmare when the bus broke down miles from help.

become a nightmare — verb + complement pattern for sudden worsening

For Mateo, the first month alone in a new city was a total nightmare.

total / absolute nightmare — common intensifier collocations

Common collocations
  • absolute nightmare
  • total nightmare
  • logistical nightmare
  • bureaucratic nightmare
  • become a nightmare
  • a nightmare to
Synonyms
  • ordeal

    emphasises a long, painful test of endurance rather than a single bad moment

  • horror

    stresses the shock or terror of the experience; often used with 'story' (war horror, horror story)

  • disaster

    suggests complete failure or ruin, not just unpleasantness

Antonyms
  • dream

    figurative use meaning the ideal or perfect situation (the job was a dream)

  • breeze

    informal; something that is very easy to manage

Grammar Patterns

be + a + nightmare

a + adjective + nightmare

Usage Note

Frequently used with intensifying adjectives such as total, absolute, complete, or real. Also common in compound expressions like logistical nightmare, bureaucratic nightmare, or PR nightmare, where the noun before nightmare names the source of the difficulty.

Common Mistakes

Having to wait five minutes for my coffee was a nightmare.
Waiting five minutes for my coffee was annoying.
'nightmare' implies serious distress or difficulty, not a minor inconvenience.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All three words describe very unpleasant experiences, but they differ in what they emphasise. 'Ordeal' focuses on a prolonged period of suffering or testing — a court case or a long illness is an ordeal, not a nightmare (which can be a single bad moment). 'Horror' highlights the shock, disgust, or moral outrage of an event (the horror of war, horror stories) and is less common for everyday difficulties. 'Disaster' implies complete failure or ruin — a flooded house is a disaster, while a difficult exam is a nightmare. Use 'nightmare' for something that feels oppressive and hard to escape, 'ordeal' for long endurance, 'horror' for shocking events, and 'disaster' for outcomes where everything goes wrong. Compare: 'The exam was a nightmare' (difficult) vs 'The exam was a disaster' (I failed it completely).

ordealhorror ↗disaster ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • recurring nightmare
  • bad nightmare
  • absolute nightmare
  • total nightmare

Phrases

  • a nightmare come true
  • like a nightmare
  • a nightmare on wheels

Prepositions

  • nightmare about
  • nightmare for

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

In Old English, 'mare' (not related to the horse) was the name of an evil spirit or goblin believed to sit on a sleeper's chest at night, pressing the breath out of them and causing terrifying dreams. The word 'nightmare' was formed by combining 'night' with this 'mare' spirit. Over time, the meaning shifted from the spirit itself to the bad dream it caused, and later extended to any extremely unpleasant experience or situation. The same 'mare' root appears in other Germanic languages — Dutch 'nachtmerrie' and German 'Nachtmahr' both mean nightmare.