dread

/drɛd/

/drɛd/

Other forms: dreaded; dreading; dreads; dreadly; dreadingly

The noun dread describes the fear of something bad happening, like the dread you feel when walking alone on a deserted street in the dark.

Dread is a feeling of fear, but it can also be the desire to avoid something. For example, many people feel dread at the very thought of speaking in front of an audience. As a verb, dread means "to fear or not want something to happen," like students who did not study and as a result, dread getting their graded tests back. As an adjective, dread means "frightening or terrifying," like a dread monster.

Definitions of dread

1. noun

   fearful expectation or anticipation
   synonyms: apprehension, apprehensiveness

   types:

   trepidation

   a feeling of alarm or dread

   boding, foreboding, premonition, presentiment

   a feeling of evil to come

   suspense

   apprehension about what is going to happen

   gloom, gloominess, somberness, sombreness

   a feeling of melancholy apprehension

   chill, pall

   a sudden numbing dread

   shadow

   a premonition of something adverse

   presage

   a foreboding about what is about to happen

   type of:

   fear, fearfulness, fright

   an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
2. adjective

   causing fear or dread or terror
   “the dread presence of the headmaster”

   synonyms: awful, dire, direful, dreaded, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, frightening, horrendous, horrific, terrible

   alarming

   frightening because of an awareness of danger
3. verb

   be afraid or scared of; be frightened of
   synonyms: fear

   types:

   panic

   be overcome by a sudden fear

   freak, freak out, gross out

   lose one's nerve