nightmare
Sleep's dark visitor
A nightmare is a frightening dream that often wakes the sleeper.
The word extends to any terrifying or deeply unpleasant experience: The airport was a nightmare.
Nightmare also describes worst-case scenarios: a nightmare situation, every parent's nightmare.
As a modifier, it suggests extreme difficulty: nightmare traffic, a nightmare client.
Extreme, overwhelming fear
- horrorExtreme fear or disgust
- dreadIntense anticipatory fear
- panicUncontrollable sudden fear
- frightSudden intense fear
alarm · trepidation · shock · hysteria · phobia · trauma · distress · torment
Imaginary childhood terror
- incubusMale demon of sleep
- succubusFemale demon seducing sleepers
- monsterFrightening imaginary creature
- demonMalevolent supernatural being
ghoul · specter · phantom · wraith · shadow figure · sleep demon · mare · hag
Frightening sleep vision
- sleep paralysisTemporary waking immobility
- vivid dreamIntensely realistic sleep imagery
- recurring dreamSleep vision that returns
- fever dreamHallucinatory episode during illness
REM · sweats · sleepwalking · insomnia · restless sleep · waking · thrashing · screaming
Threateningly suggestive of harm
- menacingConveying threat or danger
- threateningExpressing intent to harm
- eerieDisturbingly strange
- creepyDisturbingly strange
macabre · chilling · uncanny · dark · shadowy · grim · dreadful · haunting
Extremely unpleasant or cruel
- harrowingExtremely distressing or disturbing
- traumaticCausing severe emotional damage
- agonizingIntensely painful or distressing
- unbearableImpossible to endure
grueling · torturous · catastrophe · disaster · crisis · chaos · customer service · endless
terror
Extreme, overwhelming fear
fright · alarm · trepidation · shock · hysteria · phobia · trauma · distress · torment · agony
bogeyman
Imaginary childhood terror
- incubusMale demon of sleep
- succubusFemale demon seducing sleepers
- monsterFrightening imaginary creature
demon · ghoul · specter · phantom · wraith · shadow figure · sleep demon · mare · hag · devil
bad dream
Frightening sleep vision
- sleep paralysisTemporary waking immobility
- vivid dreamIntensely realistic sleep imagery
- recurring dreamSleep vision that returns
fever dream · REM · sweats · sleepwalking · insomnia · restless sleep · waking · thrashing · screaming · cold sweat
sinister
Threateningly suggestive of harm
- menacingConveying threat or danger
- threateningExpressing intent to harm
- eerieDisturbingly strange
creepy · macabre · chilling · uncanny · dark · shadowy · grim · dreadful · haunting · surreal
hellish
Extremely unpleasant or cruel
- harrowingExtremely distressing or disturbing
- traumaticCausing severe emotional damage
- agonizingIntensely painful or distressing
unbearable · grueling · torturous · catastrophe · disaster · crisis · chaos · customer service · endless · Kafkaesque
- Halloweenjack-o-lantern, trick or treating, haunted mansion, pumpkin, trick-or-treat
- experiencesadventure, journey, moment, event, feeling
- dreamsdreaming, daydream, dreams, lucid dream, daydreams
- fearfear, dread, afraid, fright, frightened
- dream phrasessweet dreams, dream come true, pipe dream, daydream, bad dream
- Evil Creaturesdemon, devil, fiend, monster, villain
nightmarepeaceful sleep
Tranquil unconscious rest
reverie · dream · daymare · daydream · dreamless sleep
- nightmare imageryFrightening mental pictures during sleep
- nightmare scenarioMost feared potential outcome
- nightmare fuelDisturbing imagery causing sleeplessness
- logistical nightmareSeverely complicated coordination problem
- nightmare worldTerrifying imagined realm
- kitchen nightmares
nightmares, nightmarish, nightmarishness, nightmarishly, nightmarelike, nightmare fuel