Word Adjective
nightmarish
adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˈnaɪtˌmɛɹɪʃ/ UK /nˈaɪtmeəɹɪʃ/ night·mar·ish
Definition
adj.extremely unpleasant, scary, or difficult to deal with. You use this to describe a situation that feels like a bad dream.
adj.extremely unpleasant, terrifying, or difficult to endure. Often used to describe real-world situations that evoke the sense of dread or horror associated with nightmares.
Examples
“The long flight was a nightmarish experience.”
“The family described the nightmarish journey through the flooded streets as the worst day of their lives.”
“The documentary provides a nightmarish look at the conditions inside the overcrowded refugee camps, highlighting the systemic failures of the international aid response.”
Etymology
From nightmare + -ish.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated