dread

¹dread

verb \ˈdred\

Definition of DREAD

transitive verb

1

a : to fear greatly

b archaic : to regard with awe

2

: to feel extreme reluctance to meet or face

intransitive verb

: to be apprehensive or fearful

Examples of DREAD

1. He can't swim and dreads going in the water.
2. She dreaded making speeches in front of large audiences.
3. I dread the day I will have to leave my friends.
4. I dread the thought of moving next week.
5. I dread to think about what they might do next.

Origin of DREAD

Middle English dreden, from Old English drǣdan

First Known Use: before 12th century

Rhymes with DREAD

bed, bread, dead, ed, fed, head, lead, med, ped, read, red, Red, redd, said, shed, shred, sled, spread, stead, ted, thread, tread, wed, zed

²dread

noun

Definition of DREAD

1

a : great fear especially in the face of impending evil

b : extreme uneasiness in the face of a disagreeable prospect <dread of a social blunder>

c archaic : awe

2

: one causing fear or awe

3

a : dreadlock 1

b plural : dreadlock 2

Examples of DREAD

1. She has a dread of failure.
2. He lives with the constant dread of rejection.
3. She awaited her punishment with dread.
4. The news about the war fills me with dread.
5. They live in constant dread of another attack.

First Known Use of DREAD

13th century

Related to DREAD

Synonyms

alarm (also alarum), apprehensiveness, apprehension, foreboding, misgiving

Related Words

agitation, anxiety, anxiousness, concern, disquiet, disquietude, distress, disturbance, fearfulness, funk, perturbation, solicitude, suspense, unease, uneasiness; scruple, worry; doubt, incertitude, mistrust, suspiciousness, uncertainty, wariness; defeatism, pessimism; foreknowledge, premonition, presage, presentiment

Near Antonyms

anticipation, excitement, hope, hopefulness; confidence, optimism, sanguinity

See Synonym Discussion at fear

³dread

adjective

Definition of DREAD

1

: causing great fear or anxiety

2

: inspiring awe

Examples of DREAD

1. <every ship on the Spanish Main was terrified of running into the dread pirate>

First Known Use of DREAD

15th century

Related to DREAD

Synonyms

alarming, dire, direful, fearful, dreadful, fearsome, forbidding, formidable, frightening, frightful, ghastly, hair-raising, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, intimidating, redoubtable, scary, shocking, spine-chilling, terrible, terrifying

Related Words

daunting, demoralizing, disconcerting, discouraging, dismaying, disquieting, distressing, disturbing, perturbing, startling, threatening, troubling, trying, unnerving; bone-chilling, creepy, eerie (also eery), weird; appalling, atrocious, awful, grisly, gruesome (also grewsome), hideous, horrid, macabre, monstrous, nightmarish

Near Antonyms

calming, comforting, consoling, inviting, lulling, pacifying, quieting, reassuring, relaxing, soothing, tranquilizing (also tranquillizing); nonintimidating, nonthreatening