as in terrors
something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason
speaking in public is a perennial dread for many people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dreads
Jermont Terry, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
Mirror images except for the fact that Jelani has his hair in dreads, while Ari goes with the more retro-look afro.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026
But the have-funs and the have-existential-dreads of the hockey community are every bit as clear.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
The courtroom doors cracked open, and a Black woman with long dreads walked in.
—Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
Also, there is this human white boy with dreads, Spider, a Tarzan type who hangs around the Sullys with the help of an oxygen mask.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025
Other introspective angles are explored during Mariano’s audiences with his friend the Pope (Rufin Doh Zeyenouin), a serene Black man with a head crowned by a bundle of silver dreads, who tools around the Vatican on a motorbike.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
The conductor described the offender as a Black male with a tan jacket, blue jeans, and short dreads.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
Mirror images except for the fact that Jelani has his hair in dreads, while Ari goes with the more retro-look afro.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026
But the have-funs and the have-existential-dreads of the hockey community are every bit as clear.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
The courtroom doors cracked open, and a Black woman with long dreads walked in.
—Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
Also, there is this human white boy with dreads, Spider, a Tarzan type who hangs around the Sullys with the help of an oxygen mask.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025
Other introspective angles are explored during Mariano’s audiences with his friend the Pope (Rufin Doh Zeyenouin), a serene Black man with a head crowned by a bundle of silver dreads, who tools around the Vatican on a motorbike.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dreads
Noun
-
Madonna has made music through various calamities that at the time felt world-ending — wars, political unrest, financial collapse — so the terrors of 2026 don’t seem to faze her.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
-
The night is dark and full of terrors, but our Instagram account is full of House of the Dragon.—
Tiffany Kelly,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Beautiful, high-energy, charming, unfiltered, fun and funny, with a quick wit and gallows humor, Margaret adores her daughter fiercely and completely, but also fears losing her love.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
2 June 2026
-
The Lithuanian government fears the Baltic states will be Russia’s logical next target because the Kremlin has gone over a cliff in transforming the country’s economy into a war machine.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
The judging panels awarded Silver, Gold, and, for the standouts, Master medals to spirits that meet a very high benchmark for balance, purity, and category character.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
This new rye whiskey started its life in Illinois, specifically at Chicago craft distillery Koval, which makes some very… interesting spirits (the Koopers trained there as distillers).—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Its buttery texture melts onto the lips, bypassing the drag and pull that plagues drier drugstore pencils.—
Micaela English,
Glamour,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Another kind of typhus, carried by lice and caused by the bacteria Rickettsia prowazekii, produced historic plagues that devastated populations during times of war, famine and poverty, the National Institutes for Health said.—
Don Sweeney
April 8,
Sacbee.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As a result, the threat of hijra curses is greatly feared.—
Charles Preston,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
28 May 2026
-
All visitors who paid for entry were told that only kind words would be tolerated, and any hurtful words or curses would result in immediate expulsion from the tent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
So too did Trump spiritual advisor Paula White-Cain, who compared the president’s torments to those of Jesus.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
-
In the face of such grave concerns, Alyoshka’s torments seem self-indulgent and frustrating, but his problem—whether to leave or stay—is far from insignificant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dreads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dreads. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
