Dread Is Fear of What Has Not Happened Yet
Dread is deep fear or apprehension. What separates it from fright is time: dread looks forward, fright reacts to the present.
Dread is great fear, especially of something expected. The distinguishing feature is direction in time: fright and alarm are reactions to something happening now, while dread is anticipatory — you dread Monday, an exam, a diagnosis. Nothing has happened yet, which is exactly what makes it hard to bear. The word also works as a verb and, in older use, as an adjective meaning inspiring awe, as in *dread sovereign*.
- Great fear of something coming. *A sense of dread.*
- To fear in advance. *He dreads Mondays.*
- Dreadful — very bad. *Dreadful weather.*
- Dreadlocks — the hairstyle. *Long dreadlocks.*
- Awe-inspiring (archaic). *Our dread sovereign.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | dread | A cold dread. |
| Verb | dread | I dread it. |
| Past | dreaded | He dreaded it. |
| Adjective | dreadful | A dreadful day. |
| Adverb | dreadfully | Dreadfully sorry. |
- She waited with a growing sense of dread.Anticipation.
- I dread telling him.Verb.
- The weather was dreadful.Weakened to very bad.
Words for fear, by shade
- Dread — anticipatory, slow, heavy
- Fright — sudden and immediate
- Terror — overwhelming, paralysing
- Anxiety — diffuse, often without a clear object
- Apprehension — mild dread, more manageable
Old English *drædan*, a shortened form of *ondrædan*, to fear, from a Germanic root of uncertain earlier origin.
What is the difference between dread and fear?
Dread is directed at something expected. Fear can be a reaction to something present.
Why does dreadful mean merely bad?
Strong words weaken with use. Dreadful once meant inspiring dread; now it usually just means very bad.