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pesadilla

peh-sah-DEE-yah/pesaˈðiʎa/

“pesadilla” means “nightmare” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

nightmare

Also: bad dream
NounfA2
A simple illustration of a child sleeping soundly in a dark room. A large, stylized shadow monster with sharp features looms menacingly over the child's bed.

📝 In Action

Anoche tuve una pesadilla muy vívida donde me perseguía un monstruo.

A2

Last night I had a very vivid nightmare where a monster was chasing me.

Cuando era niño, las pesadillas me daban mucho miedo y lloraba.

B1

When I was a child, nightmares scared me a lot and I would cry.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • sueño malo (bad dream)
  • terror nocturno (night terror)

Common Collocations

  • tener una pesadilla – to have a nightmare
  • despertarse de una pesadilla – to wake up from a nightmare

nightmare

Also: ordeal, hassle
NounfB2
A colorful illustration showing a person straining and sweating profusely while trying to push a massive gray boulder up a steep green hill, symbolizing an overwhelming task.

📝 In Action

Intentar conseguir los permisos fue una pesadilla burocrática.

B2

Trying to get the permits was a bureaucratic nightmare.

La construcción de la casa se convirtió en una pesadilla financiera para ellos.

C1

The construction of the house turned into a financial nightmare for them.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • calvario (ordeal)
  • suplicio (torment)

Antonyms

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "pesadilla" in Spanish:

bad dream→hassle→nightmare→ordeal→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: pesadilla

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'pesadilla' in its figurative sense (meaning a difficult situation)?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
sueño(dream / sleep) — Noun
soñar(to dream) — Verb
sueño ligero(light sleep) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

'Pesadilla' comes from two older Spanish words: 'pesar' (to weigh down or press) and a suffix related to the feeling of heavy pressure on the chest. The word literally describes the feeling of something heavy sitting on you while you sleep, which was the ancient understanding of a bad dream.

First recorded: 15th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: pesadeloCatalan: malson

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'pesadilla' masculine or feminine?

'Pesadilla' is always feminine (la pesadilla, una pesadilla). Do not be fooled by the word 'peso' (weight), which is masculine; the full word 'pesadilla' takes feminine articles.

¿Cómo se dice 'to have a nightmare'?

You say 'tener una pesadilla' (to have a nightmare). The verb 'tener' is used, not 'hacer'.