what a nightmare

USAGE SUMMARY

"what a nightmare" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is an idiomatic expression used to express extreme frustration, disappointment, or disbelief. Example: "I can't believe I lost my wallet on the way to the airport. What a nightmare!".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

(What a nightmare).

The New York Times

Tiridate: Jesus, / What a nightmare.

The Guardian - Music

"God, what a nightmare," she said.

The New York Times

"No one has any idea what a nightmare we lived".

The New York Times

"What a nightmare!" "Now, now," she said soothingly.

The New Yorker

("What's the missionary position?" she asks.) What a nightmare!

The New York Times

I just think what a nightmare it all was".

The New York Times

"What a nightmare this would be for my vegetarian friends," I thought.

The New York Times

The police were "very professional," Mr. Glauser said, but "that's when I realized what a nightmare this was".

The New York Times

"We appreciate what a nightmare Guantánamo has been for the United States," says Vicky Trager, a village board member.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

1 human-written examples

The life-changing sentence came at the beginning of an article entitled, "What Makes a Nightmare Sports Parent and What Makes a Great One," which described powerful insights gathered over three decades by Bruce E. Brown and Rob Miller of Proactive Coaching LLC.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "what a nightmare" to express strong feelings of frustration or disbelief about a situation that is particularly unpleasant or difficult. This phrase is suitable for informal communication.

Common error

While effective, overusing "what a nightmare" can diminish its impact. Vary your expressions with synonyms like "what a disaster" or "how awful" to maintain engagement and prevent your language from sounding repetitive.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "what a nightmare" functions primarily as an exclamatory expression. It serves to express a strong negative reaction to a situation, conveying feelings of frustration, dismay, or disbelief. Ludwig AI confirms this phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

87%

Wiki

3%

Huffington Post

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "what a nightmare" is a common and correct exclamatory phrase used to express strong negative feelings about a situation. Ludwig AI validates its usability in English. While it's suitable for informal communication, it's important to be mindful of overuse and consider using synonyms like "what a disaster" or "how awful" to maintain variety in your language. The phrase is frequently found in News & Media and serves to communicate intense unpleasantness or difficulty. While grammatically sound and widely understood, remember to tailor your language to suit the context and audience.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

what a disaster

Replaces "nightmare" with "disaster", emphasizing the catastrophic nature of the situation.

what a mess

Uses "mess" instead of "nightmare", highlighting the chaotic and disorganized aspect of the situation.

how awful

Simplifies the expression to a more direct statement of how terrible something is.

what a catastrophe

Substitutes "nightmare" with "catastrophe", stressing the severe and damaging impact.

what a tragedy

Replaces "nightmare" with "tragedy", focusing on the sorrowful and unfortunate nature of the event.

what a horror show

Emphasizes the terrifying and unpleasant nature of the situation, using a more vivid term.

what a fiasco

Replaces "nightmare" with "fiasco", highlighting the complete and embarrassing failure.

what a predicament

Uses "predicament" instead of "nightmare", focusing on the difficult and troublesome situation.

what a bind

Replaces "nightmare" with "bind", suggesting a restrictive and unpleasant circumstance.

what a pain

Simplifies to a more informal expression of annoyance and inconvenience.

FAQs

How can I use "what a nightmare" in a sentence?

You can use "what a nightmare" to express strong feelings of frustration or dismay about a particularly unpleasant situation. For example: "The traffic was terrible this morning; what a nightmare!"

What's a more formal alternative to "what a nightmare"?

While "what a nightmare" is generally informal, you could use phrases like "how unfortunate", "what a disaster", or "what a predicament" in more formal contexts.

When is it appropriate to use the expression "what a nightmare"?

It's appropriate to use "what a nightmare" when you want to express strong negative feelings about a situation that is causing significant inconvenience, frustration, or distress. It's best suited for informal settings or when communicating with close acquaintances.

Is there a difference between saying "what a nightmare" and "that's a nightmare"?

While both express negative sentiment, "what a nightmare" is an exclamation expressing immediate dismay or frustration. "That's a nightmare" is more of a statement acknowledging a difficult situation.