dread
verb (used with object)
to fear greatly; be in extreme apprehension of.
have been dreading
-
present perfect progressiveof dread.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.
A day I have been dreading is now upon us: Dame Maggie Smith has died.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2024
Mother Diane Sniath told the BBC that "this is the moment I have been dreading".
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2023
“I have been dreading receiving phone calls,” said a Tigrayan living in Norway, who like others spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals against his relatives.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 21, 2022
This is what Sheriff has been waiting for; it is what the rest of Moldovan soccer might have been dreading.
From New York Times ● Sep. 14, 2021
“You cannot think how I have been dreading that it would be thought expedient that I should be sent to an ‘institution,’” he wrote on September 26.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
