DREAD


Meaning of DREAD in English

I. ˈdred verb

( -ed/-ing/-s )

Etymology: Middle English dreden, from Old English drǣdan; akin to Old Saxon ant drādan to fear, dread, Old High German in trātan

transitive verb

1.

a. : to fear greatly : be in terror of

a burned child dreads the fire

b. archaic : to stand in awe of : reverence

2. : to anticipate with fear of evil, pain, or trouble : look forward to with apprehensiveness : feel great anxiety about

they dread change, lest it should make matters worse — G.B.Shaw

intransitive verb

: to be very apprehensive or fearful

dread not, neither be afraid of them — Deut 1:29 (Authorized Version)

II. noun

( -s )

Etymology: Middle English drede, dred, from dreden, v.

1.

a. : great fear especially in the face of impending evil : fearful apprehension of danger : anticipatory terror

looked forward with dread to the night alone in the dark farmhouse — Sherwood Anderson

dread of insecurity

b. archaic : reverential or respectful fear : awe

2. : a person or thing regarded with fear or awe

the days of wooden ships and wooden homes, when fire was an omnipresent dread — F.W.Saunders

3.

[translation of Danish & German angst ]

: anxiety 3

Synonyms: see fear

III. adjective

Etymology: Middle English dred, from past participle of dreden, v.

1. : causing great fear or apprehensiveness : frightening

dread “secret” weapons which are evaluated solely by their capacity to kill — B.M.Baruch

a dread disease

2. : inspiring reverential fear or awe

most dread lord

• dread·ly adverb

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.