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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of dread
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
Everyone dreads the explosive horrors of diarrhea, but the reverse—trouble pooping—can be just as unpleasant.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 20 Aug. 2025
Kiana Murden, Vogue, 9 July 2025
Inside the country, optimism and dread wrestle for the soul of a people.
—Nazanin Boniadi, Time, 17 June 2025
Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
But on a day when Mizzou amassed 595 total yards, converted 4 of 5 fourth downs and got an excellent effort from first-year starting quarterback Beau Pribula, surrendering possession had to fill Kansas followers with a sense of dread.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dread
Adjective
Hollywood writers often dread getting notes from studio executives about their scripts.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
Everyone dreads the explosive horrors of diarrhea, but the reverse—trouble pooping—can be just as unpleasant.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 20 Aug. 2025
Noun
The issue then, is that the mineral UV filters zinc oxide and titanium dioxide that create that shield are naturally white powders known to deliver the white cast many of us so dread.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 9 July 2025
Inside the country, optimism and dread wrestle for the soul of a people.
—Nazanin Boniadi, Time, 17 June 2025
Verb
The Wax Child is about the dread of living in brutal hierarchies, and the shapes that friendship and protection take to counteract these grim realities.
—Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
But on a day when Mizzou amassed 595 total yards, converted 4 of 5 fourth downs and got an excellent effort from first-year starting quarterback Beau Pribula, surrendering possession had to fill Kansas followers with a sense of dread.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dread
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dread
Adjective
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These shifting climates intimately shaped the biosphere over this span (and vice versa), and in occasional terrifying pulses, threatened to end it.—
Peter Brannen,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
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That was a terrifying last four days.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The worry is that these aren’t simple, one-off glitches, but systemic flaws with the way that generative tools are designed and built, and a lack of accountability for the behavior of AI algorithms.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Taxes at that level were essentially a blockade on commerce between the world's two largest economies, causing worries about global growth that led to negotiations that ratcheted down the tariffs being levied by both nations.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Mothers told Fletcher of sending their children to live elsewhere for fear they will be raped in the displacement camps, a constant worry.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
15 Sep. 2025
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The stock is still benefiting from having been dismissed and cheapened by prior fears of its search franchise being disrupted.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Dallas police identified the suspect as Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, who is being held without bond on a charge of capital murder by terror threat.—
Nic F. Anderson,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
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Perhaps, though, Kubrick's cold view of Jack and choice to diminish some of King's sympathetic nuances serve to heighten the terror; how much does knowing the complex motivations of a domestic abuser help their victims?—
James Grebey,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The frightening illness took place just two weeks after he was named MVP of his little league baseball team.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
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As the frightening futures foretold grow nearer, the details are also growing more precise.—
Zack Savitsky,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Add in the possibility of more extensive – and costly – work such as bridges, crowns, extractions or implants, and the anxiety can grow even stronger.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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The enthusiasm around personal curriculums and independent learning might reflect modern-day anxieties.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
And the plague is coming on fast, ready to kill.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Then a plague hits the household.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Unfortunately, on Wednesday during practice, the Steelers suffered a scary injury.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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Life in the camp for the displaced was scary and hard.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dread.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dread. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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