• enPR: drĕd, IPA: /dɹɛd/

dread (dreads, present participle dreading; 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

     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.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Deuteronomy 1:29 ↗:

     Dread not, neither be afraid of them.

4. (transitive) To style (the hair) into dreadlocks.

• French: redouter, craindre
• German: fürchten
• Italian: temere
• Portuguese: temer
• Russian: боя́ться
• Spanish: temer

• French: redouter, craindre
• German: befürchten
• Portuguese: temer
• Russian: опаса́ться
• Spanish: temer

dread

1. Great fear in view of impending evil; fearful apprehension of danger; anticipatory terror.

   my visit to the doctor is filling me with dread

   • the secret dread of divine displeasure

   • c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act III, scene i]:

     the dread of something after death

2. Reverential or respectful fear; awe.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Genesis 9:2 ↗:

     The fear of you, and the dread of you, shall be upon every beast of the earth.

   • c. 1596–1598, William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act IV, scene i]:

     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.

   • Una, his dear dread

5. (obsolete) Fury; dreadfulness.
6. A Rastafarian.
7. (chiefly, in the plural) dreadlock

• French: crainte
• German: Furcht, Angst
• Italian: timore
• Portuguese: temor, terror
• Russian: страх
• Spanish: pavor, temor

• Portuguese: terrível

dread (comparative dreader, superlative dreadest)

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

• German: furchterregend, grauenerregend