as in terrifying
causing fear
every ship on the Spanish Main was terrified of running into the dread pirate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in worry
suspicion or fear of future harm or misfortune
the dread felt by people awaiting bad news
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fear
the emotion experienced in the presence or threat of danger
we were filled with dread when we saw the rapids we would be rafting down
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in terror
something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason
speaking in public is a perennial dread for many people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dread
Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 6 June 2025
Michelin inspectors are dreaded anonymous restaurant reviewers.
—Tulasi Srinivas, The Conversation, 3 June 2025
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
While the Australian director brothers’ 2022 debut Talk to Me proved a youthful horror hit in its own right, their followup explores some of the same themes of grief and trauma through a much darker, more personal narrative that leaves viewers with a sense of both dread and hope.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 May 2025
Jared Bahir Browsh, The Conversation, 18 June 2025
As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dread
Adjective
And in John Hughes’s films, teens do what adults dread most: cast blame on their elders.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 6 June 2025
Michelin inspectors are dreaded anonymous restaurant reviewers.
—Tulasi Srinivas, The Conversation, 3 June 2025
Noun
There is really no sense of tension building up or dread or any of the stuff that made these sequences work in the game.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
While the Australian director brothers’ 2022 debut Talk to Me proved a youthful horror hit in its own right, their followup explores some of the same themes of grief and trauma through a much darker, more personal narrative that leaves viewers with a sense of both dread and hope.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 May 2025
Verb
Two simple notes – E and F – have become synonymous with tension, fear and sharks, representing the primal dread of being stalked by a predator.
—Jared Bahir Browsh, The Conversation, 18 June 2025
As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dread
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dread
Adjective
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John Hoffman via Facebook In a statement released on Thursday night, the Hoffman family recounted the terrifying attack, saying they were woken up by someone impersonating an officer who was banging on their door at 2 a.m.—
Stephen Swanson,
CBS News,
20 June 2025
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Whether the result of drugs, alcohol or general hysteria, these terrifying men would enter trance-like states and charge into battle, ignoring severe injuries and collapsing into a feeble heap immediately after the fight concluded.—
Drew Gerber,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
The fact Ishiba’s LDP faces an election on July 20 only heightens the BOJ’s worries about the political establishment striking back.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
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But plenty of Republicans have expressed worries about the provision as well, imperiling its passage.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
25 June 2025
Noun
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Levine also challenged Ono’s inaction as a pro-Hamas encampment took hold in the heart of Michigan’s campus, causing terror and fear among Jewish students.—
Avi D. Gordon,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 June 2025
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After a den of thieves ransacked a rural Northern California home so many times that the owner fled in fear, the property fell into even wilder hands: a group of bears, authorities said.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2025
Noun
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Izadi had been sanctioned by the U.S. and U.K. over his ties to the Palestinian militant faction Islamic Jihad, which also helped plan the Oct. 7 terror attacks.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
21 June 2025
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By the time Jaws’s 45th anniversaries rolled around, society was locked down in the Covid pandemic’s first year, terror gripping communities worldwide.—
Mark Hughes,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
Adjective
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The fumes are certainly easier to ignore or deny than the visceral, immediate violence of serial murder—which is much rarer, and yet, for many, much more frightening.—
Sarah Weinman,
The Atlantic,
18 June 2025
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Which isn’t to say that the film isn’t frightening.—
Aaron Couch,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2025
Noun
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An earlier 2019 study in Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance found turbulence, unfamiliar aircraft noises, and the threat of terror attacks were among the top anxiety triggers.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
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Too much attention, often understandably driven by shareholder and financial analyst anxiety, is being placed on the lagging indicators of current performance.—
Paul Laudicina,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Noun
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Ticket Information The crypt beneath the historic St Bride’s Church on Fleet Street contains Roman pavements, medieval foundations, and even plague burial sites.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
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Health and safety issues plague hotels used as emergency shelters across the state.—
Spencer Norris,
ProPublica,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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The 24-year-old is only going to get better, and that's a scary thing for the league.—
Ricardo Klein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
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This was in the days when only lunatics or scary white punks had shaved heads.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dread.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dread. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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