dread

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English

Etymology

From Middle English dreden, from Old English drǣdan (“to fear, dread”), aphetic form of ādrǣdan, ondrǣdan (“to fear, dread”), from Proto-Germanic *andarēdaną (“to fear”); 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”).

Pronunciation

  • enPR: drĕd, IPA(key): /dɹɛd/
  • 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.
  4. (transitive) To style (the hair) into dreadlocks.

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

dread (countable and uncountable, plural dreads)

  1. Great fear in view of impending evil; fearful apprehension of danger; anticipatory terror.
    • (Can we date this quote by Tillotson and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      the secret dread of divine displeasure
    • (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      the dread of something after death
    • 2014 April 12, Michael Inwood, “Martin Heidegger: the philosopher who fell for Hitler [print version: Hitler's philosopher]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review)‎[2], London, page R11:
      In 1928 [Martin] Heidegger succeeded [Edmund] Husserl to take a chair at Freiburg and in his inaugural lecture made a pronouncement that earned him a reputation as an archetypal metaphysician with his claim that our awareness of people as a whole depends on our experience of dread in the face of nothingness.
  2. Reverential or respectful fear; awe.
    • Bible, Genesis ix 2.
      The fear of you, and the dread of you, shall be upon every beast of the earth.
    • (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      His sceptre shows the force of temporal power, / The attribute to awe and majesty, / Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings.
  3. Somebody or something dreaded.
  4. (obsolete) A person highly revered.
    • (Can we date this quote by Spenser and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      Una, his dear dread
  5. (obsolete) Fury; dreadfulness.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Spenser to this entry?)
  6. A Rastafarian.
  7. (chiefly in the plural) dreadlock

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

dread (comparative dreader, superlative dreadest)

  1. Terrible; greatly feared.
    • 1879, Arthur Sullivan, The Pirates of Penzance, Gilbert & Sullivan:
      With cat-like tread / Upon our prey we steal / In silence dread / Our cautious way we feel
  2. (archaic) Awe-inspiring; held in fearful awe.
    • 1633, John Hay, editor, The Acts Made in the First Parliament of our Most High and Dread Soveraigne Charles, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britaine, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c.: Holden by Himselfe, Present in Person, with His Three Estates, at Edinburgh, upon the Twentie Eight Day of Iune, Anno Domini 1633, Edinburgh: Printed by Robert Young, printer to the Kings most excellent Maiestie, →OCLC:
      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]

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Anagrams

Portuguese

Alternative forms

Noun

dread m (plural s)

  1. Clipping of dreadlock.
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