Nightmarishly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that causes intense fear or distress similar to a bad dream
2. By acting or appearing in a manner that is unsettling or horrifying as a nightmare would be
3. Expressing or involving sensations or qualities that are deeply disturbing or terrifying

Etymology: "Nightmarishly" is an adverb built in two stages. The first stage is "nightmare," which in Old English was "nihtmare," a compound of "niht" (night) and "mare," a supernatural being believed to sit on sleepers and bring bad dreams. The "mare" element is the same creature that survives in the word "mare" in other senses, and it was the night-spirit, not the horse, that gave the first half of the name its sinister sense. The adjective "nightmarish" was formed by adding the suffix "-ish," which descends from an Old English adjective-forming ending meaning "of the nature of" or "like." Adding "-ish" to "nightmare" yields "like a nightmare." The adverb "nightmarishly" then adds "-ly," an Old English suffix that turned adjectives into adverbs, giving the sense "in a manner like a nightmare."

Synonyms: horribly, terrifyingly, dreadfully, appallingly, frightfully

Antonyms: pleasantly, comfortably, joyfully, cheerfully, happily