dread
verb
\
Definition of dread
(Entry 1 of 3)
dread
nounDefinition of dread (Entry 2 of 3)
dread
adjectiveDefinition of dread (Entry 3 of 3)
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms for dread
Synonyms: Noun
alarm (also alarum), apprehension, apprehensiveness, foreboding, misgiving
Synonyms: Adjective
alarming, dire, direful, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, forbidding, formidable, frightening, frightful, ghastly, hair-raising, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, intimidating, redoubtable, scary, shocking, spine-chilling, terrible, terrifying
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of dread in a Sentence
Verb
He can't swim and dreads going in the water. She dreaded making speeches in front of large audiences. I dread the day I will have to leave my friends. I dread the thought of moving next week. I dread to think about what they might do next.Noun
She has a dread of failure. He lives with the constant dread of rejection. She awaited her punishment with dread. The news about the war fills me with dread. They live in constant dread of another attack.Adjective
every ship on the Spanish Main was terrified of running into the dread pirate
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Most mothers dread their children growing older — but Selma Blair is welcoming the inevitable with open arms. — Joelle Goldstein, PEOPLE.com, "Selma Blair Shares Emotional Post About Her Son Getting Older Amid MS Journey: 'The Best It Gets'," 28 Aug. 2019 Most people dread their visits to the dentist’s office, but that’s the place UAB football called home for decades. — Joseph Goodman | Jgoodman@al.com, al, "Down goes the worst college football facility in the country, a former dentist office," 10 Aug. 2019 The short focuses on the relationship between a Black father and daughter and the task many dads dread—doing their daughter’s hair. — Sydney Scott, Essence, "The New Trailer For 'Power' Is All About Betrayal," 9 Aug. 2019 And best of all, returned from vacations without dreading the life waiting for me at home. — Caitlin Morton, Condé Nast Traveler, "How Traveling Sober Changed the Way I Saw the World," 10 July 2019 Signet’s superiority derived, in large part, from the quality of its paper stock, which was whiter and brighter than that of its competitors and without any dreaded see-through. — Michael Dirda, Washington Post, "In praise of pretty books," 14 Aug. 2019 The same could be said for his neighbors, who had dreaded the idea of some 50,000 concertgoers rocking out in their backyard. — Ray Cavanaugh, Time, "Max Yasgur Rented Out His Farm for Woodstock. His Neighbors Sued Him," 14 Aug. 2019 The long arm of the law, which criminals dreaded, also reached to prune apple trees and pick a fruit or two. — The Economist, "Obituary: Robert Morgenthau died on July 21st," 1 Aug. 2019 The nation’s hopes and dreads were attached to Mueller. — Marc Fisher, Anchorage Daily News, "ANALYSIS: On Mueller’s final day on the national stage, a halting, faltering performance," 25 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Plus, all of the existential dread that comes with watching the ongoing decline of Felix Hernandez. — The Si Staff, SI.com, "Hopelessness Index: Which MLB Teams Have the Bleakest Outlook?," 22 Aug. 2019 These are hardly the only foreigners who should inspire existential dread, according to right-wing fever dreams. — Catherine Rampell, The Denver Post, "Rampell: What are Republicans afraid of?," 6 Aug. 2019 But there is hope in a movie like Toy Story 4, a kids’ movie about existential dread. — Eliana Dockterman, Time, "Toy Story 4 Is a Good Sequel. Here's What the Star Wars, Avengers and Game of Thrones Franchises Can Learn From It," 21 June 2019 And true to form, the writing bears the traits of the stereotypical New York short story: urbane, quippy, elliptical and ironic, lacquered in atmospheric detail and heavy on existential dread. — Sam Sacks, WSJ, "Fiction: The Enduring Appeal of Fading Pleasures," 27 Sep. 2018 Anxiety and existential dread in some, near panic in others. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, "How the Mueller report became a live-theater summer sensation," 20 July 2019 The notion of man as intrinsically irreparable carries with it a chilling dread. — Kyle Smith, National Review, "How Batman Begins Changed the Movies," 19 July 2019 But when a much larger 7.1 magnitude temblor struck Friday night, the shock quickly gave way to a newfound dread: What’s next? —