nightmare
gb/nˈaɪtmˌɛɹ/ us/nˈaɪtmˌɛɹ/
B1
English
~ 9800
rémálom, lidérc
NOUN
B1
1
rémálom
B1
Usage pattern:
to have a nightmare (about [something])
I woke up shaking after a horrible nightmare about falling from a tall building.
Reszketve ébredtem fel egy szörnyű rémálomból, amelyben lezuhantam egy magas épületről.
She keeps having the same nightmare where she is lost and cannot find her family.
Újra meg újra ugyanaz a rémálma van: eltéved, és nem találja a családját.
As a child, he often had nightmares after watching scary movies.
Last night I had a nightmare that my teeth were falling out one by one.
The medication gave him vivid nightmares that felt completely real.
Learner examples
I had a nightmare about a big spider.
Rémálmom volt egy nagy pókról.
She woke up from a nightmare and could not sleep again.
Rémálomból ébredt fel, és utána már nem tudott visszaaludni.
He sometimes gets nightmares when he is very stressed.
The movie was so scary that it gave me nightmares.
Children often have nightmares when they are sick.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"I saw a nightmare"* or *"I dreamed a nightmare"*. In natural English, we usually say *"have a nightmare"* or *"I had a nightmare". Also, 'nightmare' is usually countable: *"I had a nightmare"*, not *"I had nightmare"*.
Meaning
a very frightening dream
Collocations
have a nightmare
|terrible nightmare
|recurring nightmare
|wake up from a nightmare
|vivid nightmare
|childhood nightmare
Synonyms
bad dream (More informal and neutral; slightly weaker and less intense than 'nightmare'.)
|
terrifying dream (Emphasizes strong fear; less common in everyday speech than 'nightmare'.)
Antonyms
pleasant dream (Describes a positive, enjoyable dream, the opposite emotional experience of a nightmare.)
|
sweet dream (Informal expression for a nice, gentle dream, contrasting with the fear and stress of a nightmare.)
Themes
sleep
|emotions
|health
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A very scary or very bad dream you have when you are sleeping.
A very frightening, disturbing, or upsetting dream that you have while you are asleep.
NOUN
B2
2
rémálom
B1
Usage pattern:
[something] is a nightmare (for [someone])
The commute into the city is a nightmare during rush hour.
Csúcsidőben rémálom bejutni a városba.
Planning the event without enough staff turned into a complete nightmare.
Az esemény megszervezése elég személyzet nélkül teljes rémálommá vált.
Dealing with the tax office has been an absolute nightmare for small businesses.
Losing my passport abroad was my travel nightmare come true.
For many parents, finding affordable childcare is a daily nightmare.
Learner examples
Moving house with two small children was a nightmare.
Két kisgyerekkel költözni rémálom volt.
The traffic was a nightmare, so we were very late.
A forgalom rémálom volt, ezért nagyon elkéstünk.
Filling in all these forms is a nightmare for me.
Without the internet, online classes are a nightmare.
The first week at my new job was a nightmare because everything was new.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes overuse 'very' instead of 'nightmare', saying *"It was very very bad"* where native speakers might say *"It was a nightmare"*. Also, remember to include an article: say *"a nightmare"*, not *"it was nightmare"*.
Meaning
very difficult, awful situation
Collocations
an absolute nightmare
|a complete nightmare
|a travel nightmare
|a traffic nightmare
|a bureaucratic nightmare
|turn into a nightmare
Synonyms
ordeal (Slightly more formal and dramatic; often suggests suffering over a period of time.)
|
disaster (Focuses more on failure or very bad results, not always on ongoing difficulty.)
Antonyms
a breeze (Informal; describes something that is very easy, the opposite of a difficult 'nightmare'.)
|
a pleasure (Emphasizes that the experience is enjoyable and pleasant, not stressful or awful.)
Themes
daily life
|emotions
|problems
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A very bad and stressful situation or experience.
A very difficult, unpleasant, or confusing situation or experience that causes a lot of stress or trouble.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
3
rémálom
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is a nightmare to [verb]
This new software is a nightmare to use without proper training.
Megfelelő betanítás nélkül rémálom használni ezt az új szoftvert.
Their toddler is sweet, but he can be a nightmare on long car journeys.
A kisgyerekük aranyos, de hosszú autóutakon kész rémálom tud lenni.
Our landlord has been a nightmare to deal with over the repairs.
The printer is a nightmare; it jams every time we need it urgently.
He’s a brilliant designer, but honestly, he’s a nightmare to work with.
Learner examples
The old computer is a nightmare to start.
A régi számítógépet rémálom elindítani.
Their dog is a nightmare when guests come.
A kutyájuk kész rémálom, amikor vendégek jönnek.
This phone is a nightmare to set up.
My little brother is a nightmare in the supermarket.
The form is a nightmare to fill in correctly.
Common mistake:
Learners may say *"He is nightmare"* without an article. In this sense you almost always need an article: *"He is a nightmare"* or *"This phone is a nightmare to use"*.
Meaning
very difficult person or thing
Collocations
a nightmare to deal with
|a nightmare to work with
|a nightmare to use
|an organizational nightmare
|a logistical nightmare
|an admin nightmare
Synonyms
pain (Informal; often used in the phrase 'a pain' or 'a real pain', slightly less strong than 'nightmare'.)
|
nightmare client (Fixed phrase highlighting an extremely difficult customer; more specific than general 'nightmare'.)
Antonyms
a joy (Informal; describes a person or thing that is very easy and pleasant to deal with.)
|
no trouble (Emphasizes the lack of difficulty, the opposite of the problems caused by a 'nightmare'.)
Themes
daily life
|emotions
|people
|daily_life
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A person or thing that is very hard or very annoying to deal with.
A person or thing that is extremely difficult, demanding, or annoying to deal with.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
4
lidérc
C1
Usage pattern:
a nightmare sitting on [someone's] chest
In medieval folklore, the nightmare was imagined as a small demon pressing on the sleeper’s chest.
A középkori néphitben a lidércet kis démonnak képzelték, amely rátelepszik az alvó mellkasára.
Some historians link the idea of a nightmare spirit to experiences of sleep paralysis.
Egyes történészek a lidérc alakját az alvási paralízis élményével hozzák összefüggésbe.
The painting shows a woman asleep with a nightmare crouching heavily on her body.
Writers once described the nightmare as a dark creature visiting people in their sleep.
Learner examples
Old stories say a nightmare sits on your chest at night.
A régi történetek szerint éjszaka lidérc ül a mellkasodra.
People once believed a nightmare spirit caused bad dreams.
Régen az emberek azt hitték, hogy a rossz álmokat egy lidérc okozza.
In this book, the nightmare is a small evil creature.
He read about a nightmare that visits sleeping people in old myths.
Meaning
evil spirit causing bad dreams
Collocations
medieval nightmare
|demonic nightmare
|a nightmare on the chest
|folklore nightmare
|old belief in a nightmare
Synonyms
incubus (More technical or literary term from folklore; often specifically male and sexual in focus.)
|
demon (General word for an evil spirit; not limited to causing bad dreams.)
Antonyms
guardian angel (A protective spirit that helps and guards people, opposite of a harmful nightmare spirit.)
Themes
mythology
|religion
|health
Definition
In old stories, a bad spirit that sits on a sleeping person and gives them bad dreams.
In old stories and beliefs, an evil spirit or creature thought to sit on a sleeper’s chest and cause bad dreams or feelings of suffocation.
Grammar
Dictionary form
nightmare
IPA
GB/nˈaɪtmˌɛɹ/
US/nˈaɪtmˌɛɹ/
Syllables & stress
night - mare (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (night)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: nightmare
- Plural: nightmares
Word family
Forms
nightmares
noun
Related words
nightmarish
adjective
Expressions
a living nightmare
1/ə lˈɪvɪŋ nˈaɪtmˌɛɹ/
idiom
real situation as bad as a nightmare
A real situation that is extremely bad and feels as terrible as a nightmare dream.
Examples
- The war turned their daily life into a living nightmare.
- For many people, losing their home is a living nightmare.
a nightmare come true
1/ə nˈaɪtmˌɛɹ kˈʌm tɹˈu/
idiom
feared nightmare becomes real
A very bad thing that really happens, which is like the very bad thing you were afraid of.
Examples
- The flood was a nightmare come true for residents living near the river.
- When the data was stolen, it was a nightmare come true for the company.
be a nightmare to deal with
1/bˈi ə nˈaɪtmˌɛɹ tə dˈil wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
informal
very difficult to handle
To be very difficult or very annoying to handle or manage.
Examples
- The company’s customer service can be a nightmare to deal with.
- Old insurance claims are a nightmare to deal with.
every parent's nightmare
1/ˈɛvɹi pˈɛɹənts nˈaɪtmˌɛɹ/
fixed phrase
situation parents especially fear
A situation that almost all parents are very afraid of.
Examples
- Losing a child in a crowd is every parent's nightmare.
- The idea of a serious school accident is every parent's nightmare.
have a nightmare
1/hˈæv ə nˈaɪtmˌɛɹ/
fixed phrase
experience a frightening dream
To experience a very scary dream while you are sleeping.
Examples
- I often have nightmares if I eat too late at night.
- She had a nightmare about being trapped in an elevator.
like a bad nightmare
1/lˈaɪk ə bˈæd nˈaɪtmˌɛɹ/
fixed phrase
unpleasant and unreal, like a nightmare
Used to say that a real situation feels very unpleasant and strange, similar to a scary dream.
Examples
- The whole experience was like a bad nightmare that we couldn’t wake up from.
- Watching the city burn felt like a bad nightmare.
nightmare scenario
1/nˈaɪtmˌɛɹ sɪnˈɑɹioʊ/
fixed phrase
extremely bad possible situation
A very bad possible situation in the future that people are afraid might happen.
Examples
- Analysts warned of a nightmare scenario in which both banks fail at the same time.
- For the team, losing both star players would be a nightmare scenario.
turn into a nightmare
1/tˈɚn ˈɪntu ə nˈaɪtmˌɛɹ/
fixed phrase
become a very bad situation
To slowly or suddenly become a very bad and stressful situation.
Examples
- The simple repair quickly turned into a nightmare when more problems appeared.
- Our holiday turned into a nightmare after our luggage was lost.
worst nightmare
1/wˈɚst nˈaɪtmˌɛɹ/
fixed phrase
most feared situation
The thing or situation that someone fears more than anything else.
Examples
- Failing the exam was his worst nightmare.
- For a pilot, losing both engines is the worst nightmare.