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.

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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

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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”

Explanation

The noun dread describes the fear of something bad happening, like the dread you feel when walking alone on a deserted street in the dark. Dread is a feeling of fear, but it can also be the desire to avoid something. For example, many people feel dread at the very thought of speaking in front of an audience. As a verb, dread means "to fear or not want something to happen," like students who did not study and as a result, dread getting their graded tests back. As an adjective, dread means "frightening or terrifying," like a dread monster.

Example Sentences

I feel like I’m trapped in a maze that keeps changing its configuration, and I dread the state of the job market when my contract ends in a few months.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

Delia Lodge said she is filled with dread every time they have to sit in the same area as A&E patients while waiting for treatment at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, in Denbighshire.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

The one word contains a mix of dread, suspicion, affection, defensiveness, and warning.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

That enthusiasm is a far cry from the dread many exhibitors felt this time last year after a disastrous first quarter at the box office.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Now I had a weighty, guilty, heart-pounding, sick-to-my-stomach dread.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Related Words

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