dread
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: drĕd
ipa: /dɹɛd/
rhymes: -ɛd
Forms: form: dreads
Etymology: From Middle English drede, dred, from the verb (see above). Cognate with Old Frisian drēd, drēde (“fear, dread”).
Senses: examples: text: My visit to the doctor is filling me with dread.
text: the secret dread of divine displeasure
ref: 1671, John Tillotson, “Sermon IV. The Advantages of Religion to Particular Persons. Psalm XIX. 11.”, in The Works of the Most Reverend Dr. John Tillotson, Late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: […], London: […] B. Aylmer, […]; [a]nd W. Rogers, […], published 1696, →OCLC:
text: the dread of something after death
ref: c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
text: They shared a common dread that he would begin moaning.
ref: 1961 November 10, Joseph Heller, “The Soldier in White”, in Catch-22 […], New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, →OCLC, page 169:
text: In 1928 [Martin] Heidegger succeeded [Edmund] Husserl to take a chair at Freiburg and in his inaugural lecture made a pronouncement that earned him a reputation as an archetypal metaphysician with his claim that our awareness of people as a whole depends on our experience of dread in the face of nothingness.
ref: 2014 April 12, Michael Inwood, “Martin Heidegger: the philosopher who fell for Hitler [print version: Hitler's philosopher]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review), London, page R11:
glosses: Great fear in view of impending evil; fearful apprehension of danger; anticipatory terror.
examples: text: The fear of you, and the dread of you, shall be upon every beast of the earth.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 9:2:
text: His sceptre shows the force of temporal power, / The attribute to awe and majesty, / Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings.
ref: c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
glosses: Reverential or respectful fear; awe.
glosses: Somebody or something dreaded.
examples: text: Una, his dear dread
ref: 1590, Edmund Spenser, “(please specify the book)”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
glosses: A person highly revered.
examples: text: The mightie ones, affrayd of every chaunges dread
ref: 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
glosses: Fury; dreadfulness.
glosses: A Rastafarian.
examples: text: Jesus Christ had dreads / So shake 'em / I ain't got none / But I'm planning on growing some.
ref: 2006, “Tell Me When To Go”, in Earl Stevens, Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels (lyrics), Lil Jon (music), My Ghetto Report Card:
glosses: Clipping of dreadlock.
examples: text: The Royal Navy sent six dreads and four BCs to intercept the German raiding force.
topics: government
military
nautical
politics
transport
war
glosses: Clipping of dreadnought.
Derived terms: dreaden
dread fascination
dreadful
dreadless
dreadmill
dreadsome
dready
misdread
rent-a-dread
undread