English · Word Candidate

nightmare

/ˈnaɪt.mɛə/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: nightmares · nightmaring · nightmared

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

A very unpleasant or frightening dream.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

một giấc mơ rất khó chịu hoặc đáng sợ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

I had a nightmare that I tried to run but could neither move nor breathe.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Any bad, miserable, difficult or terrifying situation or experience that arouses anxiety, terror, agony or great displeasure.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

tình huống hoặc trải nghiệm khó khăn, khủng khiếp, gây lo lắng, sợ hãi

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

Cleaning up after identity theft can be a nightmare of phone calls and letters.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To experience a nightmare.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

trải qua một cơn ác mộng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

Brother Fary of Omaha was nightmaring the rest of the night.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To imagine (someone or something) as in a nightmare.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

tưởng tượng ai đó hoặc thứ gì như trong một cơn ác mộng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

She was the last person I’d expected to see, although I had not expected to see anyone at all. For a moment I thought it was a nightmare, and that I was nightmaring the whole thing.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “nightmare” mean?

A very unpleasant or frightening dream.

Is “nightmare” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.