dread

[ dred ]

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. dreads, Informal. 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

/ 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

Other Words From

• dread·a·ble adjective
• dread·ness noun
• pre·dread noun verb (used with object)
• un·dread·ed adjective
• un·dread·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dread¹

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of dread¹

Old English ondrǣdan; related to Old Saxon antdrādan, Old High German intrātan

Synonym Study

See fear.

Example Sentences

Finding the right balance between humor and existential dread is perhaps the biggest challenge of staging “Godot.”

From Los Angeles Times

The boy is an excellent student; while his classmates dread going to school, he dreads his plantain-lugging weekends.

From New York Times

Also, “this was a neglected demographic on the dreaded dating-apps scene.”

From Los Angeles Times

His emphasis on “historic” did not have a tone of dread, pathos, or regret.

From Salon

The only new data point was that this patient, so long dreading this day, had positive biomarkers showing increased risk for the disease.

From Los Angeles Times