verb
dread
drehd
verb
1
To feel great fear or anxiety about something that is going to happen.
"She dreaded the phone call all afternoon."
"I dread going to the dentist."
noun
1
A strong feeling of fear or anxiety about something.
"A sense of dread came over him as he opened the letter."
adj
1
Causing great fear; dreaded (used mainly in older or literary English).
"The dread disease swept through the village."
How to Use Dread
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo be very afraid or anxious about something upcoming, or the fear itself.
Common pairings
dread the thought of
a sense of dread
live in dread
Word Forms
dreader comparative, dreaded past tense, dreads singular, dreadest superlative
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Etymology
From Old English ondrǣdan, "to fear," formed from and- (a prefix like "against") plus rǣdan, an early relative of "read" in the sense of "advise" or "counsel."