dreads
dreads — verb
- dreadspresent simple I / you / we / they
- dreadses3rd person singular
- dreadsing-ing form
- dreadsedpast simple
1. to experience a strong, unpleasant feeling of worry before a future event — such
to experience a strong, unpleasant feeling of worry before a future event — such as sitting an exam, going to a hospital appointment, or having to tell someone bad news
Jenna dreaded the phone call from the hospital all morning.
Andrés said he dreads going to the dentist more than anything.
dread + gerund (dreads going)
The villagers dreaded the arrival of the monsoon floods every year.
Élise dreaded what her doctor would say after the blood test came back.
It was the Monday-morning meeting everyone dreaded, but nobody dared to cancel it.
- fear
broader, less intense; can be a general attitude rather than anticipation of a specific event
- be terrified of
stronger emotional charge, more dramatic
- look forward to
positive anticipation instead of fear
文法句型
dread + noun phrase
dread + gerund
dread + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Frequently takes a gerund complement ('dread + -ing') to describe an activity you fear. The to-infinitive form ('dread to think/see') is rarer and mostly fixed in set phrases.
常見錯誤
2. to feel so unwilling to deal with a person, a topic, or a situation that you try
to feel so unwilling to deal with a person, a topic, or a situation that you try to avoid even thinking about it
Caleb dreaded facing his parents after the argument.
dread + gerund (dreaded facing)
Lara had been dreading the conversation about college for weeks.
The director dreaded telling the staff that half of them would lose their jobs.
What Jenna dreaded most was the awkward silence at family dinners after the disagreement.
- shrink from
more formal, literary tone
- avoid
broader, describes the behaviour rather than the feeling
- welcome
to be glad to deal with a situation
文法句型
dread + gerund
dread + noun phrase
用法筆記
Distinguish from verb sense 1 (FEAR THE FUTURE). Sense 1 focuses on fear of an external event; sense 2 focuses on the internal reluctance to engage with something you already know you must face.
常見錯誤
dreads — noun
1. a strong, unpleasant feeling that something terrible is about to happen, leaving
a strong, unpleasant feeling that something terrible is about to happen, leaving you unable to focus on anything else
A sense of dread settled over Mira as she opened the official-looking envelope.
collocation: a sense of dread
Lara felt a cold dread creep up her spine when the lights suddenly went out.
collocation: cold dread
The dread of losing her job kept Élise awake night after night.
Yuna woke with a growing dread about the surgery scheduled for that afternoon.
- fear
more general; dread implies a stronger, more paralysing anticipation
- apprehension
milder, more intellectual worry about what might happen
- confidence
certainty that things will go well
文法句型
dread of + noun / gerund
a sense of dread
用法筆記
Often modified by adjectives that intensify the emotion: 'cold dread', 'deep dread', 'growing dread'. 'Dread' as a noun is usually uncountable but can appear with an indefinite article when a specific instance is described ('a dread of failure').
常見錯誤
2. a hairstyle in which the hair is twisted into long, rope-like strands that hang
a hairstyle in which the hair is twisted into long, rope-like strands that hang down from the scalp
Jack had been growing his dreads for almost three years.
collocation: grow dreads
The singer was easy to pick out in the crowd because of her long grey dreads.
Mira spent the whole morning retwisting her dreads with a special cream.
Many cultures around the world have traditional hairstyles that look like modern dreads.
- dreadlocks
the fuller, more formal term
- locs
informal shortening used within the community
用法筆記
Always appears as a plural noun ('dreads'), even when referring to one person's hairstyle. The singular 'dread' for a single strand is rarely used.
dreads — adjective
- dreadspositive
- dreadsercomparative
- dreadsestsuperlative
1. describing something that fills people with intense fear or worry, often used in
describing something that fills people with intense fear or worry, often used in dramatic or literary contexts
The dread sound of air raid sirens echoed through the empty streets.
attributive: before the noun it modifies
A dread silence fell over the courtroom as the judge prepared to announce the verdict.
The fishing boat sailed directly into the dread darkness of the approaching storm.
Villagers spoke of the dread disease in hushed voices long after the epidemic passed.
用法筆記
This adjective is almost always placed immediately before the noun it modifies (attributive position). It is not used after linking verbs ('The storm is dread' is not natural). The synonym 'dreaded' is more common in everyday speech.