worst nightmare
noun
: the thing someone fears most
Losing a child is every parent's worst nightmare.
Examples of worst nightmare in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Those kinds of advice are valuable in helping to protect vulnerable elders from being forced into a sub standard nursing home, their worst nightmare.
—
Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
The ascendance of Mamdani, whose economic platform includes free buses and a rent freeze, would be a boon for progressives — and centrist Democrats’ worst nightmare, Semafor’s David Weigel wrote.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 24 June 2025
What started off as a normal weekday for a Decatur County family quickly turned into their worst nightmare.
—Gabrielle Chenault, The Tennessean, 11 July 2025
That combined with their willingness to talk openly about their mental health created an ex's worst nightmare on TikTok these past couple weeks.
—Sam Woodward, USA Today, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for worst nightmare
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
The ascendance of Mamdani, whose economic platform includes free buses and a rent freeze, would be a boon for progressives — and centrist Democrats’ worst nightmare, Semafor’s David Weigel wrote.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 24 June 2025
What started off as a normal weekday for a Decatur County family quickly turned into their worst nightmare.
—Gabrielle Chenault, The Tennessean, 11 July 2025
That combined with their willingness to talk openly about their mental health created an ex's worst nightmare on TikTok these past couple weeks.
—Sam Woodward, USA Today, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for worst nightmare
Cite this Entry
“Worst nightmare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worst%20nightmare. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share