# dread

/ˈdɹɛd/ (US) · /dɹˈɛd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dread
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to fear the future

verb · CEFR B2

to feel extremely worried or unhappy about something that will happen in the future.

For teachers: to anticipate with great apprehension or anxiety. Transitive, taking a noun phrase or gerund as an object.

- I dread the long commute to work every Monday morning.
- Many employees dread the annual performance reviews, fearing that any minor criticism might jeopardise their chances for a promotion.

### 2. to style hair

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal

to twist hair into long, rope-like pieces called dreadlocks.

For teachers: to style hair into dreadlocks. Often used in the passive voice or as a participle.

- He decided to dread his hair over the summer break.
- She spent several hours at the salon having her hair dreaded into neat, uniform sections.

### 3. a feeling of fear

noun · CEFR B2

a strong feeling of fear or worry about something bad that may happen.

For teachers: a state of intense apprehension or anticipatory terror regarding a future event.

- She was filled with dread as she opened the envelope containing her exam results.
- A sense of cold dread settled over the village as the dark clouds gathered, signalling the arrival of the predicted storm.

### 4. dreadlocks

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang

a single rope-like piece of hair; a dreadlock.

For teachers: a single lock of hair styled as a dreadlock. Usually used in the plural.

- He cut off one of his dreads to see how it would look.
- The musician was known for his floor-length dreads, which he had been growing for over a decade.

### 5. terrible or feared

adjective · CEFR C2 · Literary · Formal

causing great fear or being very serious.

For teachers: inspiring great fear or awe; often used in formal or literary contexts to describe something formidable.

- The king had to make a dread decision that would affect the whole country.
- The explorers were warned about the dread silence of the desert, where the lack of sound could drive a person to madness.

## Examples

- I dread the long commute to work every Monday morning.
- Many students dread the final exam period because of the intense pressure and long hours of study required.
- While some athletes thrive under the spotlight, others secretly dread the post-match interviews where every mistake is dissected by the national media.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.