nightmare
/ˈnaɪtmeə(r)/noun
1- a frightening or unpleasant dream噩梦：
I had nightmares after watching the horror movie.
我看完这部恐怖片后做了许多噩梦。
1.1
- a terrifying or very unpleasant experience or prospect恐怖的经历; 可怕的事情：
the nightmare of racial hatred
种族仇恨的可怕经历
an astronaut's worst nightmare is getting detached during an extra-vehicle activity.
宇航员最怕的事情就是在舱外活动时与宇宙飞船分离。
1.2
- a person, thing, or situation that is very difficult to deal with很难对付的人（或事、情况等）：
buying wine can be a nightmare if you don't know enough about it.
如果你对酒知之甚少的话, 买酒将会是很难对付的事情。
派生词
nightmarish
adjectivenightmarishly
adverb词源
Middle English (denoting a female evil spirit thought to lie upon and suffocate sleepers)： from NIGHT + Old English mære 'incubus'.