as in terrifying
causing fear
every ship on the Spanish Main was terrified of running into the dread pirate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in worry
suspicion or fear of future harm or misfortune
the dread felt by people awaiting bad news
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fear
the emotion experienced in the presence or threat of danger
we were filled with dread when we saw the rapids we would be rafting down
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in terror
something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason
speaking in public is a perennial dread for many people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dread
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 Feb. 2025
Beware of cheap but dangerous holiday toys Shopping for a fun, maybe even educational, toy for a young child for Christmas should be packed with joy — not dread about what danger lurks ahead.
—Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 19 Nov. 2024
Houman Barekat, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
At larger, more commercial fairs, a few bad days can trigger existential dread and put a gallery’s financials in question.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 22 Feb. 2025
Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
And for anyone who has been dreading the comeback of skinny jeans, or the baggy styles of the past few years, can officially rejoice.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dread
Adjective
Woe’s Hollow is where Kier Eagan first tamed the four tempers of the human soul: woe, frolic, dread, and malice.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 Feb. 2025
Beware of cheap but dangerous holiday toys Shopping for a fun, maybe even educational, toy for a young child for Christmas should be packed with joy — not dread about what danger lurks ahead.
—Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 19 Nov. 2024
Noun
The maritime setting would have worked equally well without it, evoking a more elliptical sense of dread.
—Houman Barekat, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
At larger, more commercial fairs, a few bad days can trigger existential dread and put a gallery’s financials in question.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 22 Feb. 2025
Verb
Every homeowner dreads the inevitable: the moment their roof begins to deteriorate—shingles curling, missing granules, or leaks seeping through the ceiling.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
And for anyone who has been dreading the comeback of skinny jeans, or the baggy styles of the past few years, can officially rejoice.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dread
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dread
Adjective
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Back in August, Renner spoke about how his terrifying snowplow accident in January 2023 led to his daughter becoming a little more independent.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Prehistoric insects encased in amber reveal a terrifying evolutionary road that dead-ended sometime after the mid-Cretaceous period.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Last Friday, James Bergeron, the acting under secretary at the Education Department, sent a letter to colleges attempting to allay their worries about the layoffs.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA TODAY,
21 Mar. 2025
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Some Tesla shareholders have expressed worry about the situation.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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By understanding where and when white sharks are most likely to be detected, researchers and policymakers can better communicate with the public about how to safely enjoy Maine’s beaches without unnecessary fear.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
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Sometimes they’re driven by fears of what’s to come.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
23 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The disclosure came in filings from the Manhattan district attorney’s office responding to requests by Mangione’s lawyers ahead of his trial on murder and terror offenses stemming from the Dec. 4 fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2025
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In a shocking report published March 24, Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of the Atlantic, revealed that he was accidentally added to a group chat in which very senior government officials planned a strike on the Houthi terror group in Yemen earlier this month.—
Ben Sales,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Granted that a 1 degree Celsius change in world average temperature can translate into a 4-degree Celsius increase in some of the most climate precarious countries, this last scenario is frightening.—
Mike O'Sullivan,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
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While studying a rare species whose mating call appears to be the frightening shrieks the team has been hearing in the woods, the pair hired Kodiak (McHale) as their guide.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Extreme deficits may lead to obsessive food tracking, anxiety around eating, or disordered eating patterns.—
Heather Jones,
Verywell Health,
19 Mar. 2025
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Some patients who try to quit benzodiazepines suffer extreme anxiety, memory loss and intense physical pain.—
Alex Knapp,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The campaign was threaded with a drumbeat suggestion that homeless people are a subhuman plague.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
Orlando Sentinel,
17 Mar. 2025
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Similarly, it was called the white plague or white death – due to anemia from the disease, with people appearing pallid or chalky – leading to near-certain death.—
Karen Dobos,
The Conversation,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The Athletic’s Steve Madeley has produced a slightly scary overview of the 16 months before the next World Cup starts.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
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Kwong grew up hearing stories of every kind about Manzanar—scary, sad, funny and infuriating.—
Rachel Ng,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dread.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dread. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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