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# nightmare

«nightmare» in Mova's school dictionary: **A frightening or very upsetting dream** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a nightmare, nightmares)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A frightening or very upsetting dream. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nightmare/#m1)

2) A very difficult or unpleasant situation or experience. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nightmare/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In feelings lessons, nightmares are normal, especially after scary films or worries; talking about them, a calm bedtime and a nightlight help, and a nightmare is not real. In everyday speech, a traffic jam or a messy day can be «a nightmare». In stories, a nightmare can show what a character fears. Phrases: «have a nightmare», «wake up from a nightmare», «a nightmare journey», «a living nightmare».

### examples

- I had a nightmare about a giant spider. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nightmare/#x1)
- She woke up screaming from a nightmare. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nightmare/#x2)
- Scary films give me nightmares. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nightmare/#x3)
- Getting home in the snow was a nightmare. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nightmare/#x4)
- Dad said the traffic was a total nightmare. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nightmare/#x5)
- After a nightmare, a hug from Mum helps. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nightmare/#x6)
- Nightmares can feel real, but they are only dreams. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nightmare/#x7)
- Losing the tickets would be a nightmare! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nightmare/#x8)
- He thought he had a nightmare. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nightmare/#x9)

### note

Countable; one word. The opposite of a bad dream is a «sweet dream». The old word «mare» meant an evil spirit, not a horse. If nightmares happen often, tell a parent or doctor.

### In the corpora

- [Drawing a repeated nightmare and imagining a better ending can stop it coming back.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/100-standing-up-nightmares-and-the-dark/13/)
- [Scary films and videos before bed often cause nightmares and bad sleep in children.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/100-standing-up-nightmares-and-the-dark/20/)
- [Zara said: «Nah, I'll just get nightmares and you'll get grounded.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/423-older-siblings-and-youtube-gameplay/8/)
- [He just says, «My dad's a nightmare anyway, you're not missing much,» and nicks a chip.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/525-friends-who-get-it/3/)
- [Nightmares are common in children, are often linked to stress or scary stories, and don't predict the future.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/35-screens-eyes-and-sleep/14/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «nightmare» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nightmare/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.