梦魇 (mèng yǎn) — nightmare; horrifying dream (often with a suffocating sensation); sleep paralysis (common folk explanation for the feeling of being pressed down)
Definition
A vivid term for a terrifying nightmare, especially one with the classic folk image of being pressed or suffocated in sleep. More literary and intense than the everyday 噩梦.
noun
nightmarehorrifying dream (often with a suffocating sensation)sleep paralysis (common folk explanation for the feeling of being pressed down)
Examples
- 梦魇，。Zuó wǎn wǒ zuò le yí gè kě pà de mèng yǎn, xǐng lái hòu xīn tiào dé lì hài.I had a horrible nightmare last night — my heart was pounding when I woke up.
- 梦魇，。Tā jīng cháng bèi mèng yǎn kùn rǎo, zhěng yè wú fǎ ān shuì.He is often troubled by nightmares and can't sleep well all night.
- 梦魇，。Nà zhǒng yā yì de gǎn jué jiù xiàng mèng yǎn yí yàng, ràng rén huī zhī bú qù.That oppressive feeling is like a nightmare — it won't go away.
Appears in
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