dreading
Americanverb
Etymology
Origin of dreading
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.
All of these factors contribute towards a situation which has now left many dreading the idea of going to A&E.
From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026
The couple is among thousands of immigrant parents hiding in their homes in Minneapolis, dreading that federal agents will come knocking.
From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026
In private, in my office, she admitted to avoiding mirrors, skipping photos and dreading social events.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026
Some of them must be dreading—as we all need to start dreading and doing everything to stop—the days and nights that lie ahead.
From Slate • Sep. 30, 2025
When they reached the well, they heard the noise they’d been dreading.
From "Tiger Boy" by Mitali Perkins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
