English–Japanese

“nightmare” in Japanese

Japanese

Pronunciation

Romajiakumu

Example

昨夜、悪夢を見ました。saku ya aku mu o mi ma shi ta

I had a nightmare last night.

Illustration for 悪夢 (nightmare)

How to say “nightmare” in Japanese

“Nightmare” in Japanese is 悪夢 (akumu).

Describes a dream filled with fear or distress that leaves a strong sense of unease after waking.

Full entry for 悪夢: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 悪夢

その停電は、町全体にとって悪夢でした。so no tei den wa machi zen tai ni to tte aku mu de shi ta

The power outage was a nightmare for the entire town.

Tips for using 悪夢

  • In English, nightmare also refers to a very difficult or frightening situation, extending the idea of a distressing dream into figurative use.

“nightmare” in other languages