nightmarishness

9.1

A quality that makes situations feel very frightening and unpleasant

noun
/naɪtˈmɛrɪʃnəs/

: característica aterradora

He described the nightmarishness of trying to find his way out of the tangled, dark forest.

Examples

The nightmarishness of the oppressive regime haunted her long after she escaped.
Critics noted the nightmarishness of the film's surreal imagery and sound design.
The nightmarishness of the situation left everyone in shock.
Many horror films explore the nightmarishness of human fears.
The nightmarishness of the car crash scene left the audience trembling in their seats.
He couldn't shake off the nightmarishness of the memories from that terrifying night.
The nightmarishness of her vivid dreams often kept her awake at night.

Synonyms

horror

vsnightmarishness

441 2.1

A very strong feeling of fear, shock, or disgust

is a lasting, scene-like quality rather than a single emotional reaction

grimness

vsnightmarishness

2 6.7

A harsh, unpleasant quality that makes people feel afraid or worried

is more surreal and terrifying rather than merely severe or harsh

terribleness

vsnightmarishness

1 6.6

A state when something is very bad and frightening

is more vivid and dreamlike, evoking disturbing scenes not just dread

hellishness

vsnightmarishness

1 8.4

A state of great suffering that feels like being in hell

is about an overall dreamlike terror, not only misery or difficulty

horribleness

vsnightmarishness

1 5.9

A very unpleasant, shocking state that causes fear or disgust

is broader, evoking a whole terrifying scenario rather than single shock

gruesomeness

vsnightmarishness

NSFW

1 7.0

A very shocking and frightening scene or detail that makes you feel sick

is broader, implying an entire terrifying scene beyond graphic detail

frightfulness

vsnightmarishness

1 8.1

A strong feeling of fear when something is very scary

is wider, suggesting an entire terrifying experience rather than single fear

ghastliness

vsnightmarishness

1 8.5

A very shocking and horrible sight that scares people

is more about an overall terrifying atmosphere rather than macabre detail

horridness

vsnightmarishness

7.7

A very unpleasant quality that shocks people

is more specific to a dreamlike, terrifying state rather than general dread

dreadfulness

vsnightmarishness

7.7

A very strong feeling of fear when something is shocking or awful

is more about a surreal, terrifying quality beyond simple alarm

monstrousness

vsnightmarishness

7.8

The quality of being very ugly or cruel in a way that shocks people

is more about an uncanny, dreamlike terror than cruelty or ugliness

ghoulishness

vsnightmarishness

8.8

A strange, scary quality like a ghost or monster

is broader, creating a full terrifying atmosphere beyond eerie imagery

Antonyms

pleasantness

2 3.4

A feeling that something is nice and enjoyable

How Terrifying

nightmarishness

9.1

terror

282 4.9

horror

441 2.1

distress

240 3.6

unpleasantness

17 4.2

Surface Forms

nightmarishness singular

nightmarishnesses plural

Morphology

nightmarishness = nightmarish (transparent) = nightmare + ish + ness

Formed by the adjective 'nightmarish' (nightmare + -ish) plus the productive noun-forming suffix '-ness', yielding a meaning directly inferable from the adjective.

Etymology

The word nightmarishness begins with nightmare, which came from an old idea that a 'mare' was an 'evil spirit' that could sit on people and give them bad dreams. The endings -ish ('like') and -ness ('state or quality') turn it into a noun, so nightmarishness means the 'state' of being like a nightmare — very frightening or deeply unpleasant.