noun
nightmare
A frightening dream or an extremely distressing experience.
She wakes from a nightmare and turns on her bedside lamp.
Etymology
A mare was a spirit believed to oppress sleepers. Nightmare shifted from the supposed night visitor to the terrifying dream, and then to any intensely distressing experience.
More examples
- He has nightmares about falling from a great height.
- Losing our passports turns the vacation into a nightmare.
- The flooded basement is a nightmare for the whole family.
Forms
nightmare · nightmares
nightmarish adjective — Extremely frightening or difficult to endure.