as in terrifying
causing fear
every ship on the Spanish Main was terrified of running into the dread pirate
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 11 Feb. 2025
His pulse rings with an animal excitement indistinguishable from dread, panic: a flood of adrenaline, as if his life were at risk.
—Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2025
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 9 May 2025
Some have developed a dread of spotting one’s doppelgänger, a harbinger of impending death.
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 4 May 2025
Zach Montague, New York Times, 13 May 2025
The optimistic view of this new information is that Chicago at least fired the incompetent coaching staff that Williams and his father dreaded prior to a disappointing rookie year.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for dread
Adjective
Margaret Atwood has captured the imagination, creeping dread, and defiant spirits of generations across the world with her work—from the near-future dystopia of The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) and Booker Prize–winning The Testaments (2019), to the compelling tangle of women’s lives in Cat’s Eye (1988).
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 11 Feb. 2025
His pulse rings with an animal excitement indistinguishable from dread, panic: a flood of adrenaline, as if his life were at risk.
—Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2025
Noun
The adept use of 3D’s ability to manipulate light and atmosphere makes the character’s dread and hope palpable and even more poignant.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 9 May 2025
Some have developed a dread of spotting one’s doppelgänger, a harbinger of impending death.
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 4 May 2025
Verb
Employees at other agencies have been dreading the upcoming announcements and have received minimal information about who will be affected.
—Zach Montague, New York Times, 13 May 2025
The optimistic view of this new information is that Chicago at least fired the incompetent coaching staff that Williams and his father dreaded prior to a disappointing rookie year.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for dread
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dread
Adjective
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May has been equally terrifying for Ukrainian civilians.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
27 May 2025
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As the mysterious contract killer Vincent, Cruise brings his usual on-screen qualities — strict professionalism, precise physicality, ruthless persistence — but turns them on their head to embody a terrifying, amoral murderer.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
24 May 2025
Noun
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The letter is a sign of growing ties between religious and AI safety groups, which share some of the same worries.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
21 May 2025
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But for Americans on the Gulf or Atlantic coasts, the daily weather forecast always comes with a constant thrum of worry — any small disturbance in the Atlantic has the potential to evolve into a major storm.—
Sabrina B. Valenti,
Sun Sentinel,
20 May 2025
Noun
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Some of this fear is rooted in social comparison, but much of it is tied to daily concerns about funding retirement accounts and covering child care costs.—
Eliza Brooke,
Vox,
23 May 2025
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While on the stand, Ventura also opened up about dating Mescudi for a short period, but allegedly having to break it off out of fear of Combs' reaction.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
22 May 2025
Noun
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In the trailer, LAPD detective Mark Meachum (Ackles) is recruited to be part of an elite team tasked with preventing a large scale terror attack in Los Angeles.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
28 May 2025
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Hamas and other militant groups kidnapped 251 people from Israel during the October 7, 2023 terror attacks.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
28 May 2025
Adjective
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The ensuing action is gory and frightening — and even Wong got a little spooked by Hawkins.—
Eric Andersson,
People.com,
31 May 2025
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This is incredibly damaging to career prospects and, given how little knowledge exists in mainstream medical and occupational health circles, can feel confusing and frightening for those who don’t know where to turn for advice.—
Nancy Doyle,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Millennials courageously started talking openly about therapy, anxiety, and depression, breaking decades of stigma.—
Charell G. Coleman,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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Trousdale’s songs adroitly address female empowerment, loss, heartbreak, anxiety, mental health and other subjects while striking a winning balance between melancholia and buoyancy.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Now, Georgas is looking for more action to be taken as the issue continues to plague girls' sports in Illinois and hopes the recent Naperville incident will be a turning point.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
21 May 2025
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The Book of Exodus details the 10 plagues that God inflicted upon the Egyptian pharaoh and his people, including swarms of locusts, an infestation of frogs and an outbreak of boils.—
Dan Barry,
New York Times,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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Unlike Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights, this world is more foreboding than scary, but as guests quickly learn from its can’t-miss attraction Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, monsters still shouldn’t be crossed.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
26 May 2025
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But Game 3 of the Western Conference final was a scary reminder that McDavid has another side to his offensive arsenal.—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman,
New York Times,
26 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dread.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dread. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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