dread

English

Etymology

Middle English dreden, from Old English drǣdan (“to fear, caution against”), aphetic form of ādrǣdan, ondrǣdan (“to advise or counsel against”); compare with Dutch ontraden (“to advise or counsel against”), from and- (“against”) + rǣdan (“to counsel, advise”). Akin to Old High German intrātan (“to fear”). More at read.

Pronunciation

• enPR: drĕd, IPA: /drɛd/, X-SAMPA: /drEd/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛd

Verb

dread (third-person singular simple present dreads, present participle dreading, simple past and past participle dreaded)

1. (transitive) To fear greatly.
2. To anticipate with fear.

   I'm dreading getting the results of the test, as it could decide my whole life.

   • 1877, Anna Sewell, Black Beauty Chapter 22[1]

     Day by day, hole by hole our bearing reins were shortened, and instead of looking forward with pleasure to having my harness put on as I used to do, I began to dread it.

3. (intransitive) To be in dread, or great fear.
   • Bible, Deuteronomy i. 29

     Dread not, neither be afraid of them.

Derived terms

• dreadable
• dreadworthy

Translations

to fear greatly

• Bulgarian: страхувам се (bg) (strahuvam se)
• Catalan: témer (ca)
• Dutch: vrezen (nl), schrik hebben (nl), bang zijn (nl)
• Finnish: pelätä (fi)
• French: redouter (fr), craindre (fr)
• Hungarian: retteg (hu)

• Latin: vereor (la), paveo (la)
• Portuguese: temer (pt)
• Romanian: teme (ro)
• Russian: бояться (ru) (bojátʹsja)
• Spanish: temer (es)

to anticipate with fear

• Bulgarian: опасявам се (bg) (opasjavam se)
• Finnish: odottaa pelolla (fi)
• French: redouter (fr), craindre (fr)
• German: befürchten (de)

• Latin: vereor (la)
• Portuguese: temer (pt)
• Russian: опасаться (ru) (opasátʹsja)

Noun

dread (plural dreads)

1. A great fear.
2. Somebody or something dreaded.
3. A Rastafarian.
4. (chiefly in the plural) dreadlock

Translations

great fear

• Armenian: սարսափ (hy) (sarsap’), ահ (hy) (ah), սոսկում (hy) (soskum)
• Bulgarian: страх (bg) (strah) m, боязън (bg) (bojazǎn) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 恐怖 (cmn) (kǒngbù)

• Czech: hrůza (cs) f
• Dutch: vrees (nl) f, doodsangst (nl) f
• Finnish: kauhu (fi), pelko (fi)
• French: crainte (fr) f
• German: Furcht (de) f, Angst (de) f

• Hungarian: rettegés (hu)
• Japanese: 恐怖 (ja) (きょうふ, kyōfu)
• Latin: timor (la) m, metus (la) m, pavor (la) m
• Portuguese: temor (pt) m, terror (pt) m
• Romanian: frică (ro) f, teamă (ro) f, temere (ro) f
• Russian: страх (ru) (strax) m, боязнь (ru) (bojáznʹ) f
• Scottish Gaelic: oillt (gd) f, uamhann (gd) m, uabhas (gd) m, eagal (gd) m, sgrath (gd) m
• Spanish: temor (es) m

somebody or something dreaded

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 恐怖 (cmn) (kǒngbù)

• Dutch: (person) gevreesde (nl) m and f, (thing) gevreesde (nl) n

• Finnish: kauhistus (fi)
• Portuguese: terrível (pt) m
• Romanian: sperietoare (ro) f

Adjective

dread (comparative dreader, superlative most dread)

1. Terrible; greatly feared.
2. (archaic) Awe-inspiring; held in fearful awe.

See also

• dreadlocks

Anagrams

• adder
• dared
• readd