dread

/dred/
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dread

The student felt a sense of dread before the big test.

Definition
  1. Noun:

    • Fearful anticipation or apprehension: A strong feeling of fear or anxiety about something that is going to happen or might happen.
  2. Verb:

    • To fear greatly; to anticipate with terror or anxiety: To be very afraid of something, especially a future event.
  3. Adjective:

    • Causing great fear or terror; dreadful: Inspiring awe or terror.
Usage Examples
  • Noun:

    • She lives in constant dread of her boss's anger.
    • A feeling of dread filled the room as the storm approached.
  • Verb:

    • I dread the thought of having to give a public speech.
    • Many people dread going to the dentist.
  • Adjective (less common, often literary/formal):

    • The dread power of the ancient king was legendary.
    • They faced the dread enemy with courage.
Advanced Usage
  • "To be in dread of": To be very frightened of someone or something.

    • The villagers lived in dread of the dragon.
  • "To hold someone/something in dread": To regard someone or something with great fear.

    • The tyrant was held in dread by his subjects.
Variants and Related Words
  • Dreadful (adj): Extremely bad, unpleasant, or causing fear.
    • We heard a dreadful noise.
  • Dreadfully (adv): Extremely; terribly.
    • I'm dreadfully sorry for the mistake.
  • Dreaded (adj): Regarded with great fear or apprehension.
    • The dreaded day of the final exam arrived.
Synonyms
  • Noun: Fear, terror, apprehension, trepidation, anxiety.
  • Verb: Fear, apprehend, be terrified of.
  • Adjective: Fearful, terrible, awful, dire, dreadful.
Related Phrasal Verbs/Constructions

(Note: "Dread" is not commonly used in standard phrasal verb constructions. Its usage is typically direct: "dread + noun/gerund" or "dread + that clause".) - Dread to think (idiomatic phrase): Used to say that one does not want to think about something because it is too unpleasant. - I dread to think what might have happened if you hadn't arrived.

Related Idioms
  • Dread the worst: To fear that the worst possible thing will happen.
    • When the phone rang at 3 a.m., she dreaded the worst.
dread

The student felt a sense of dread before the big test.

Adjective
  1. causing fear or dread or terror
    • the awful war
    • an awful risk
    • dire news
    • a career or vengeance so direful that London was shocked
    • the dread presence of the headmaster
    • polio is no longer the dreaded disease it once was
    • a dreadful storm
    • a fearful howling
    • horrendous explosions shook the city
    • a terrible curse
Noun
  1. fearful expectation or anticipation
    • the student looked around the examination room with apprehension
Verb
  1. be afraid or scared of; be frightened of
    • I fear the winters in Moscow
    • We should not fear the Communists!