Word
nightmare
Phoneticsnight·mare, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈnaɪtˌmɛɹ/
UK/nˈaɪtmeə/
Definitions
01a scary dream
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a very frightening or upsetting dream that happens while you are asleep.
n. a distressing or terrifying dream that typically causes the sleeper to wake suddenly in a state of anxiety.
“The child woke up crying after having a nightmare about getting lost.”
“Recurrent nightmares are often cited as a primary symptom of post-traumatic stress, frequently disrupting the patient's REM cycle and overall sleep quality.”
Synonyms
02a bad situation
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Informal
n. a very difficult, unpleasant, or disorganized situation in real life.
n. a metaphorically terrifying or extremely unpleasant experience, often characterized by chaos, frustration, or bureaucratic difficulty.
“The traffic was a total nightmare and it took us three hours to get home.”
“Navigating the legal requirements for the international merger proved to be a bureaucratic nightmare that exhausted the company's legal department.”
03a sleep demon
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Religion Archaic · Literary
n. in old stories, a monster or spirit that people believed sat on them while they slept.
n. a malevolent spirit or monster in folklore formerly believed to produce a feeling of suffocation in sleeping victims.
“Ancient legends spoke of a nightmare that would haunt the village at night.”
“The painting depicts the nightmare as a heavy, crouched creature sitting upon the chest of a sleeping woman, reflecting eighteenth-century superstitions regarding sleep paralysis.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “nightmare” in context.
Verb
01. have a nightmare
“I had a terrifying nightmare about being chased through a dark forest.”
verb + noun
02. relive the nightmare
“The survivors had to relive the nightmare while testifying in court.”
verb + noun
03. turn into a nightmare
“The relaxing beach holiday turned into a nightmare when all our luggage was stolen.”
verb + prep + noun
Adjective
04. absolute nightmare
“Trying to get a refund from that company was an absolute nightmare.”
adj + noun
05. bureaucratic nightmare
“Applying for the visa became a bureaucratic nightmare involving dozens of forms.”
adj + noun
06. recurring nightmare
“She has suffered from a recurring nightmare about failing her final exams for years.”
adj + noun
Noun
07. logistical nightmare
“Moving the entire office to a new building over the weekend was a logistical nightmare.”
adj + noun
08. nightmare scenario
“The nightmare scenario for the airline is a total system failure during the holiday rush.”
noun + noun
Real-World Examples
“Over the last 20 years, Helen has tried to move on from Berry-Dee’s crimes, but she cannot escape the nightmares about those months in the art school.” “That short supply means retailers may soon start stocking "sun-tanned" cauliflower because "their biggest nightmare is empty shelves", she said.” Etymology
Middle English nyghtmare is a straightforward compound: Old English niht “night” + mare “a succubus that settles on the sleeper’s chest and rides the breath out of the body.” The creature was female, weighty, and discourteous; her visit left the victim gasping, paralysed, and convinced that death had spent the night on the counterpane.
The word crossed the North Sea with its baggage intact: Dutch nachtmerrie, Middle Low German nachtmār, modern German Nachtmahr. Each language kept the identical arrangement—darkness first, demon second—so the nightmare has held the same shift pattern since at the latest the tenth century.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/nightmare