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
Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 5 May 2025
Mixing creeping dread with the tough realization that they might be stuck driving forever, the actors behave like actual disillusioned youth, striving to hold onto their humanity as the odometer ticks away endlessly.
—William Earl, Variety, 9 Apr. 2025
Shannon Carlin, Time, 30 May 2025
Out West, where the mood is presumably less colored by existential dread, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the must-see Thunder take on Anthony Edwards and a Timberwolves team that hopes to make everyone forget their hasty exit from last year’s Conference Final.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 20 May 2025
Tulasi Srinivas, The Conversation, 3 June 2025
The ending everyone's been waiting for (or dreading) will come on New Year's Eve, Dec. 31, 2025.
—Pamela Avila, USA Today, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dread
Adjective
From the global film industry, the early reaction is a predictable mix of dread and total confusion.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 5 May 2025
Mixing creeping dread with the tough realization that they might be stuck driving forever, the actors behave like actual disillusioned youth, striving to hold onto their humanity as the odometer ticks away endlessly.
—William Earl, Variety, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
His most recent pictures, The French Dispatch and Asteroid City, have used complicated interlocking story structures to deal with mortality, existential dread, and tyranny.
—Shannon Carlin, Time, 30 May 2025
Out West, where the mood is presumably less colored by existential dread, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the must-see Thunder take on Anthony Edwards and a Timberwolves team that hopes to make everyone forget their hasty exit from last year’s Conference Final.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 20 May 2025
Verb
Michelin inspectors are dreaded anonymous restaurant reviewers.
—Tulasi Srinivas, The Conversation, 3 June 2025
The ending everyone's been waiting for (or dreading) will come on New Year's Eve, Dec. 31, 2025.
—Pamela Avila, USA Today, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dread
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dread
Adjective
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More: Ukraine drone attack shows familiar-looking drones can be terrifying weapons How does the Pentagon, which spends nearly a trillion dollars a year on defense, have such a vulnerability?—
Tom Vanden Brook,
USA Today,
8 June 2025
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Everyone's fighting power is so terrifying, but the only thing missing is the XBOX robe...—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Noun
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Those worries vanished when she was accepted to Yale University.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
14 June 2025
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Fear of falling behind That worry of falling behind is something many men are wrestling with, according to a recent report by the Speaking with American Men (SAM) project, a new effort aimed at helping Democrats better reach and connect with young men.—
Elena Moore,
NPR,
13 June 2025
Noun
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Choosing to be bold and to fight fear is not the easy choice.—
Mitchell W. Berger,
Sun Sentinel,
4 June 2025
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By the end of the month, Mercury will clash with Pluto retrograde, forcing intense conversations that bring hidden fears around your work environment and culture, or past experiences that need to be dealt with to the surface.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
4 June 2025
Noun
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Six of the injured in what federal officials have described as a terror attack were from the same synagogue, Bonai Shalom.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
8 June 2025
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The president said on X the travel ban was being introduced after a terror attack against a pro-Israel group advocating for Hamas to release Israeli hostages in Boulder, Colorado, last weekend, allegedly by an Egyptian man who had overstayed his visa.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2025
Adjective
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Critics of the administration’s tactics, including former Homeland Security officials, said the White House’s strategy boils down to frightening immigrants into leaving on their own.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2025
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How to check food labels for allergies Howard's story is frightening and not entirely uncommon.—
Adrianna Rodriguez,
USA Today,
12 June 2025
Noun
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When an industry accelerates this fast, anxiety is sure to follow and a growing number of CEOs aren’t asking whether to build with AI.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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Survey respondents’ anxiety over unemployment also declined, but a separate measure of employment trends from the Conference Board dipped slightly, reflecting lingering economic uncertainty.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
10 June 2025
Noun
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The pathogen has fueled three major plague pandemics since the first century AD, and though its deadliest years appear to be behind us, plague hasn’t disappeared.—
Mindy Weisberger,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
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The results revealed that pla depletion decreases the virulence and increases the length of plague infections in mice.—
Sam Walters,
Discover Magazine,
31 May 2025
Adjective
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Make that the second scariest, as Claire’s antics bring another menacing character into their lives, when her dealer, Jackie (Domhnall Gleeson), shows up at Echo Valley looking for 10 grand in heroin.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
7 June 2025
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Both events offer live entertainment, themed food, and access to select park attractions with generally shorter wait times than during the day How scary is Universal Halloween Horror Nights?—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dread.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dread. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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