dread
- to fear greatly; be in extreme apprehension of: to dread death.
- to be reluctant to do, meet, or experience: I dread going to big parties.
- Archaic. to hold in respectful awe.
- to be in great fear.
- terror or apprehension as to something in the future; great fear.
- a person or thing dreaded.
- dreads, Informal. dreadlocks.
- Informal. a person who wears dreadlocks.w
- Archaic. deep awe or reverence.
- greatly feared; frightful; terrible.
- held in awe or reverential fear.
Origin of dread
Synonyms for dread
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comAntonyms for dread
Examples from the Web for dreading
Contemporary Examples of dreading
Gävle Goat must be dreading the imminent holiday and his fifty-fifty chance of destruction.
Is it possible to really look forward to something, while dreading it too?
I was dreading that moment, because there I was thinking I was wasting all of my money and I would have no more savings.
I became paranoid and avoided her neighborhood, dreading the idea of running into her.
With Dolly dreading a return across the Atlantic to singledom, Emily strikes upon the idea that she could stay as a temporary PA.
Historical Examples of dreading
Dreading a rejection, I solicited the interest of the merry damsel.
The Seven Vagabonds (From "Twice Told Tales")Nathaniel Hawthorne
It seemed to me that the trouble I was dreading would come through her.
My Double LifeSarah Bernhardt
It was the hemorrhage coming, the near end which Ferrand had been dreading.
The Three Cities Trilogy, CompleteEmile Zola
They still carry the bucket and the pole, hoping yet dreading to meet their parents.
Classic MythsMary Catherine Judd
"No, I swear to you I don't," said Muffat, dreading a scene.
dread
- to anticipate with apprehension or terror
- to fear greatly
- archaic to be in awe of
- great fear; horror
- an object of terror
- slang a Rastafarian
- archaic deep reverence
- literary awesome; awe-inspiring
Word Origin for dread
Word Origin and History for dreading
dread
late 12c., a shortening of Old English adrædan, contraction of ondrædan "counsel or advise against," also "to dread, fear, be afraid," from on- "against" + rædan "to advise" (see read (v.)). Cognate of Old Saxon andradon, Old High German intraten. Related: Dreaded; dreading. As a noun from 12c.