dread
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dread¹
- /dɹɛd/
Rhymes with -ɛd
Where it comes from
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”).
verb dreads · dreading · dreaded
- To fear greatly.
- To anticipate with fear. I'm dreading getting the results of the test, as it could decide my whole life.
- To be in dread, or great fear. Dread not, neither be afraid of them.
- To style (the hair) into dreadlocks.
dread²
- /dɹɛd/
Rhymes with -ɛd
Where it comes from
From Middle English drede, dred, from the verb (see above). Cognate with Old Frisian drēd, drēde (“fear, dread”).
noun dreads
- Great fear in view of impending evil; fearful apprehension of danger; anticipatory terror. My visit to the doctor is filling me with dread.
- Reverential or respectful fear; awe. The fear of you, and the dread of you, shall be upon every beast of the earth.
- Somebody or something dreaded.
- A person highly revered. Una, his dear dread
- Fury; dreadfulness. The mightie ones, affrayd of every chaunges dread
- A Rastafarian.
- Clipping of dreadlock Jesus Christ had dreads / So shake 'em / I ain't got none / But I'm planning on growing some.
- Clipping of dreadnought The Royal Navy sent six dreads and four BCs to intercept the German raiding force.
dread³
- /dɹɛd/
Rhymes with -ɛd
Where it comes from
From Middle English drede, dredde, dradde, ydreddyd (“feared, dreaded, honoured”), past participle of Middle English dreden (“to fear, dread”). See above.
adjective dreader · dreadest
- Terrible; greatly feared; dreaded. With cat-like tread / Upon our prey we steal / In silence dread / Our cautious way we feel
- Awe-inspiring; held in fearful awe. 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]
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: direful, terrible, dreadful, fearful, horrific, fearsome, frightening, alarming, fear, horrendous, apprehensiveness, awful, dire, apprehension, afraid, scare
Translations
Every language
verb to fear greatly so./sth.
| Español | temer |
|---|---|
| Português | temer |
| Français | redouter, craindre |
| Deutsch | schaudern, grauen |
| Italiano | temere |
| Ελληνικά | φοβάμαι fovámai |
| Română | teme |
| Русский | боя́ться bojátʹsja |
| עברית | חשש khashásh |
verb to anticipate with fear (that ...)
| Español | temer, empavorecer, despavorir |
|---|---|
| Português | temer |
| Français | redouter, craindre |
| Deutsch | gruseln, grausen, eine Gänsehaut bekommen / kriegen, Blut und Wasser schwitzen, bibbern, zittern |
| Ελληνικά | φοβάμαι fovámai |
| Русский | опаса́ться opasátʹsja |
verb to be in great fear (intransitive)
| Deutsch | fürchten, Angst haben, ängstigen |
|---|
noun great fear in view of impending evil
| Español | pavor, temor, miedo, terror, horror |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 恐怖 kyōfu |
| 中文 | 恐怖 kǒngbù |
| हिन्दी | वहशत vahśat, सहम saham |
| Português | temor, terror |
| Français | crainte |
| Deutsch | Grausen, Schaudern, Angst |
| Italiano | timore |
| Ελληνικά | τρόμος trómos |
| Română | frică, teamă, temere |
| Русский | страх strax, боя́знь bojáznʹ |
| עברית | חרדה kharadá, פחד pákhad, חשש khashásh, אימה eimá |
noun somebody or something dreaded
| 中文 | 恐怖 kǒngbù |
|---|---|
| Português | terrível |
| Deutsch | Gefürchtete, Befürchtete |
| Ελληνικά | τρόμος trómos |
| Română | sperietoare |
adj terrible
| Deutsch | grausig, schauderhaft, grauenerregend, grauenvoll, gräulich, fürchterlich |
|---|
Talk about this word "dread." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/dread. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. dread. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/dread "dread." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/dread.Cite this
@misc{dread_2026,
title = {dread},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/dread},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
