Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Nightmare for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is "Nightmare" — noun, pronounced /ˈnaɪtmɛə/, with the stress on "night".
Narrator: A nightmare is a frightening dream, or a terrible or distressing experience.
Narrator: In plain English, a nightmare is a bad dream — or a nightmare situation in real life.
Narrator: It comes from the Old English niht, meaning night, and mare, meaning an evil spirit or demon.
Narrator: "A nightmare dream" describes a frightening and distressing dream.
Narrator: It differs from dream because nightmare is frightening, whereas dream is general.
Narrator: "A nightmare of" is a figurative sense meaning a terrible or distressing experience.
Narrator: Psychology, sleep, medicine, description and everyday speech all rely on the word nightmare.
Narrator: So remember: a nightmare is a bad dream, from the Old English for night and evil spirit.
Speaker A: What is a nightmare?
Speaker B: A bad dream! NIGHTMARE comes from the Old English niht, night, and mare, an evil spirit, so it means a frightening dream or terrible experience.
Speaker A: So a nightmare is a scary dream?
Speaker B: Yes — or a bad situation!
Speaker A: Example sentences?
Speaker B: "A nightmare dream"; "a nightmare of"; "a nightmare scenario" — dream, experience and situation.
Speaker A: Common mistakes?
Speaker B: Don't confuse nightmare with night terror, because a nightmare is a bad dream, while a night terror is a sleep disorder with fear.
Speaker A: Close relatives?
Speaker B: 'Dream' the general cousin, 'terror' the fear twin, 'ordeal' the experience alternative. The word keeps its frightening charm!
Speaker B: Let's use "nightmare" in AI prompts — useful for psychology apps and sleep tools.
Speaker A: So a prompt could frame psychology?
Speaker B: Right. For a psychology app, you'd write:
Prompt: Write a short guide to nightmares, naming two causes.
Speaker A: How about a sleep tool?
Speaker B: Ask the model to advise:
Prompt: Draft a guide to preventing nightmares, naming two tips.
Speaker A: Could it help with a writing bot?
Speaker B: Yes, you can frame description:
Prompt: Summarise in two sentences how to describe a nightmare, naming one detail.
Speaker A: One more?
Speaker B: For a health chatbot, try this:
Prompt: Write a short note on recurring nightmares, naming one cause.
Nightmare — meaning in Arabic & definition More N courses GL Dictionary