Nightmare and Thorn

Nightmare

Nightmare noun - A situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness.

Usage example: that 20-page exam was a nightmare

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Thorn and nightmare are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Thorn" instead a noun "Nightmare".

Nearby Word: nightmarish

Thorn noun - Something that is a source of irritation.

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Nightmare and thorn are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Nightmare" instead a noun "Thorn".

Nearby Word: thorny

long	long nightmare	long thorn
original	original nightmare	original thorn
endless	endless nightmare	endless thorn
true	true nightmare	true thorn
Other adjectives: real, massive, little, beautiful, eternal, titular, recurring, giant, red, eponymous, biggest.

It happens to Thorn in the first book of Bone, as she awakens violently from a nightmare (actually a flashback) about a massive rat creature attack on a castle.

Source: Catapult Nightmare
The first part of the trope was invoked by Nightmare Moon, who was the thorn in its paw.

Source: Recap / My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic S1 E2 "Elements of Harmony"
She also turns into a thorn and several ponies at once (the Shadowbolts) as Nightmare Moon.

Source: Voluntary Shapeshifting

Cite this Source

Thorn and Nightmare. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 29, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/nightmare/thorn

Nightmare & Thorn. N.p., 2016. Web. 29 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/nightmare/thorn>.

Thorn or Nightmare. 2016. Accessed July 29, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/nightmare/thorn.

Google Ngram Viewer shows how "nightmare" and "thorn" have occurred on timeline