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verb · 1 syllable · /dred/

DREAD

What does "DREAD" mean?

To anticipate something with great fear or anxiety.

Meanings

  1. To regard a future event with deep fear or reluctance. She dreaded the moment she would have to say goodbye.
  2. A feeling of great fear or apprehension about what is to come. A cold dread settled over him as the phone rang.
  3. Inspiring awe or terror; greatly feared. They spoke in hushed tones of the dread sorcerer. archaic

Word origin

From Old English 'ondrædan' (to fear, dread), the prefix later worn away, leaving the modern 'dread'.

Remember it

DREAD starts like DREAM but ends in a thud - the nightmare version of looking ahead.

A little poem

The letter sits unopened on the sill,
the room grows quiet, the clock grows loud-
I fear the knowing more than any ill.

tercet

Wordplay

  • I have a deep fear of speed bumps. But slowly, I'm getting over it. The dread, however, remains.

What it teaches

Dread is interest paid on a debt you may never owe: the waiting hurts more than the thing.

Quick facts

What does DREAD mean?

To anticipate something with great fear or anxiety.

Is DREAD a valid word?

Yes — DREAD is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.

How many letters is DREAD?

DREAD has 5 letters and 1 syllable.

Where does DREAD come from?

From Old English 'ondrædan' (to fear, dread), the prefix later worn away, leaving the modern 'dread'.

What can DREAD teach us?

Dread is interest paid on a debt you may never owe: the waiting hurts more than the thing.

How players do

Be the first to solve it.

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