dread

American  

[dred] / drɛd /

verb (used with object)

1. to fear greatly; be in extreme apprehension of.

   to dread death.

   Antonyms:

   welcome

2. to be reluctant to do, meet, or experience.

   I dread going to big parties.

3. Archaic. to hold in respectful awe.

---

verb (used without object)

1. to be in great fear.

noun

1. terror or apprehension as to something in the future; great fear.

2. a person or thing dreaded.

3. Informal. dreads, dreadlocks.

4. Informal. a person who wears dreadlocks.

5. Archaic. deep awe or reverence.

adjective

1. greatly feared; frightful; terrible.

   Synonyms:

   horrible, dreadful, dire

2. held in awe or reverential fear.

dread British  

/ drɛd /

verb

1. to anticipate with apprehension or terror

2. to fear greatly

3. archaic to be in awe of

---

noun

1. great fear; horror

2. an object of terror

3. slang a Rastafarian

4. archaic deep reverence

adjective

1. literary awesome; awe-inspiring

Related Words

See fear.

Other Word Forms

• dreadable adjective
• dreadness noun
• predread noun
• undreaded adjective
• undreading adjective

Etymology

Origin of dread

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English dreden (verb), Old English drǣdan, aphetic variant of adrǣdan, ondrǣdan; cognate with Old High German intrātan “to fear”

Example Sentences

How do you avoid the dreaded “sophomore slump”?

From Los Angeles Times

Their music is the full of dread, misdirection and dark absurdity.

From BBC

"I was always worried about if anything happened at home," said Emily, as she often woke up to missed calls from home dreading the "worst case scenario".

From BBC

In private, in my office, she admitted to avoiding mirrors, skipping photos and dreading social events.

From The Wall Street Journal

I remember I’d admitted to my husband that I dreaded Christmas every year.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• apprehension
• awe
• consternation
• dismay
• horror
• panic
• phobia
• terror
• trepidation