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REFERENCE

dread

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈdɹɛd// UK //dɹˈɛd// dread Archaic Slang

v. to feel very worried or unhappy about something that is going to happen. You use this when you are not looking forward to a future event at all.

v. to anticipate with great apprehension or fear. Often followed by a gerund or a noun phrase.


SIMPLE

I dread the long commute to work every Monday morning.

CONTEXTUAL

Many students dread the final exam period because of the intense pressure and long hours of study required.

COMPLEX

While some athletes thrive under the spotlight, others secretly dread the post-match interviews where every mistake is dissected by the national media.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

From Middle English dreden, from Old English drǣdan (“to fear, dread”), aphetic form of ondrǣdan (“to fear, dread”), from Proto-West Germanic *andarādan, equivalent to Old English and- + rǣdan (whence read); corresponding to an aphesis of earlier adread. Akin to Old Saxon antdrādan, andrādan (“to fear, dread”), Old High German intrātan (“to fear”), Middle High German entrāten (“to fear, dread, frighten”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English drede, dred, from the verb (see above). Cognate with Old Frisian drēd, drēde (“fear, dread”).

Etymology 3

From Middle English drede, dredde, dradde, ydreddyd (“feared, dreaded, honoured”), past participle of Middle English dreden (“to fear, dread”). See above.

Usage

Transitive verb; commonly followed by a gerund ('dreading going') or a direct object ('dread the meeting').

Pitfall

I dread to the dentistI dread the dentistDread is a transitive verb and does not take the preposition 'to' before its object.

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