What does "dread" mean?
Great fear in view of impending evil; fearful apprehension of danger; anticipatory terror.
Dread
/dɹɛd/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Great fear in view of impending evil; fearful apprehension of danger; anticipatory terror.
- Grammar: dread is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: apprehension, abject fear, afeared, affright.
- Useful contrasts: joyful anticipation, anticipating, anticipation.
- Usage evidence: Why do you think animals dread fire?
How to use "dread"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dread" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "dread" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "dread" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dread" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "dread" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "apprehension" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "dread", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Great fear in view of impending evil; fearful apprehension of danger; anticipatory terror. countable, uncountable
"My visit to the doctor is filling me with dread."
- 2 fearful expectation or anticipation wordnet
- 3 Reverential or respectful fear; awe. countable, uncountable
"The fear of you, and the dread of you, shall be upon every beast of the earth."
- 4 Somebody or something dreaded. countable, uncountable
- 5 A person highly revered. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"Una, his dear dread"
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Fury; dreadfulness. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"The mightie ones, affrayd of every chaunges dread"
- 7 A Rastafarian. countable, uncountable
- 8 Clipping of dreadlock. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, in-plural, slang, uncountable
"Jesus Christ had dreads / So shake 'em / I ain't got none / But I'm planning on growing some."
- 9 Clipping of dreadnought. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, historical, slang, uncountable
"The Royal Navy sent six dreads and four BCs to intercept the German raiding force."
Verb
- 1 To fear greatly. transitive
- 2 be afraid or scared of; be frightened of wordnet
- 3 To anticipate with fear.
"I'm dreading getting the results of the test, as it could decide my whole life."
- 4 To be in dread, or great fear. intransitive
"Dread not, neither be afraid of them."
- 5 To style (the hair) into dreadlocks. transitive
Adjective
- 1 Terrible; greatly feared; dreaded.
"With cat-like tread / Upon our prey we steal / In silence dread / Our cautious way we feel"
- 2 Awe-inspiring; held in fearful awe. archaic
"The acts made in the first Parliament of our most high and dread soveraigne Charles [I], by the grace of God, King of Great Britaine, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. […] [book title]"
Adjective
- 1 causing fear or dread or terror wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Why do you think animals dread fire?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "dread"?
Common synonyms include: apprehension, abject fear, afeared, affright, agitation, agony.
How do you use "dread" in a sentence?
Why do you think animals dread fire?
How do you pronounce "dread"?
Pronounced /dɹɛd/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English dreden, from Old English drǣdan (“to fear, dread”), aphetic form of ondrǣdan (“to fear, dread”), from Proto-West Germanic *andarādan, equivalent to Old English and- + rǣdan (whence read); corresponding to an aphesis of earlier adread. Akin to Old Saxon antdrādan, andrādan (“to fear, dread”), Old High German intrātan (“to fear”), Middle High German entrāten (“to fear, dread, frighten”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English drede, dred, from the verb (see above). Cognate with Old Frisian drēd, drēde (“fear, dread”).
Etymology 3
From Middle English drede, dredde, dradde, ydreddyd (“feared, dreaded, honoured”), past participle of Middle English dreden (“to fear, dread”). See above.