nightmarish

[ nahyt-mair-ish ]

adjective

1. resembling a nightmare, especially in being terrifying, exasperating, or the like:

   his nightmarish experience in a concentration camp.

Other Words From

• nightmarish·ly adverb
• nightmarish·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of nightmarish¹

First recorded in 1825–35; nightmare + -ish ¹

Example Sentences

“Crispy Skin,” from the English experimental rock band Squid’s upcoming third album, “Cowards,” is at once bright and nightmarish — a driving, six-minute post-punk tune inspired by a dystopian novel about cannibalism.

From New York Times

Most of their goals have fallen well out of reach, lost amid the Trojans’ nightmarish October.

From Los Angeles Times

As firefighters patrolled the area for hot spots and helped grieving residents, neighbors retold their stories of the nightmarish day.

From Los Angeles Times

They come by the hundreds, all vying for the latest Labubu, a furry toy character with rabbit-like ears and a nightmarish grin stretched wide over a row of serrated teeth.

From Los Angeles Times

For anyone living in America, the nightmarish shift in a contaminated drug supply is all too familiar.

From Salon

Related Words

• awful
• chilling
• disquieting
• dreadful
• eerie
• ghastly
• grim
• grisly
• hair-raising
• hellish
• horrible
• horrid
• horrifying
• macabre
• scary
• spooky
• terrible
• terrifying
• traumatic