Japanese word

悪夢

Pronunciation

Romajiakumu

Meaning

  • nounnightmare

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)

More examples

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.

Core concept

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

Common phrases

  • 悪夢を見るaku mu o mi ru

    have a nightmare

  • 悪夢から覚めるaku mu ka ra sa me ru

    wake up from a nightmare

Definition in Japanese

恐怖や不安を感じるような、いやな内容の夢。kyō fu ya fu an o kan ji ru yō na i ya na nai yō no yume

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese compound 悪夢 (akumu) combines 悪 (aku, "bad") and 夢 (mu, "dream").

Usage tips

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

Other meanings

  • bad dreamnoun

Word lists with this word