dread
verb (used with object)
to fear greatly; be in extreme apprehension of.
has been dreading
-
present perfect progressiveof dread (3rd person singular).present perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For four years, the public has been dreading seeing, or hoping to see, a repeat performance.
From Slate ● Oct. 29, 2020
The country has not suffered attacks on the same scale as France or Belgium, but the police have foiled several plots and the country has been dreading that it, too, could become a target.
From New York Times ● Jun. 23, 2016
I don't think the Panamanian government is going to get all the attacks it has been dreading.
From Time Magazine Archive
And, finally, for a trip back to his fungo Fatima and a game of catch with the one man he has been dreading and dying to meet.
From Time Magazine Archive
Now those are the very words Dolores has been dreading to hear.
From Zoe; Or, Some Day A Novel by May Leonard
