The word "dread" (/ˈdre̱d/) is a versatile word that can function as a verb, noun, or adjective. As a verb, it means to be very worried or very afraid of something unpleasant that may happen. As a noun, it signifies anxiety or fear, a strong feeling of apprehension about something that is expected to happen. Additionally, it can be used as an adjective meaning terrible, greatly feared, or undesirable.
[VERB 动词]非常担心；极为害怕 If you dread something which may happen, you feel very anxious and unhappy about it because you think it will be unpleasant or upsetting.
[V n/-ing]
[V n -ing]
[V that]
[Also V to-inf]
I'm dreading Christmas this year...
今年我非常害怕过圣诞节。
I dreaded coming back, to be honest...
说实话，我生怕回来。
I suffer badly from cold sores and dread them appearing on my wedding day...
我的唇疱疹很严重，我真担心它会在我的婚礼上发作。
I'd been dreading that the birth would take a long time.
我一直十分担心分娩会花很长时间。
2
[N-UNCOUNT 不可数名词]忧虑；恐惧Dread is a feeling of great anxiety and fear about something that may happen.
She thought with dread of the cold winters to come.
她害怕即将来临的寒冷冬季。
3
[ADJ 形容词]可怕的；令人畏惧的Dread means terrible and greatly feared.
[usu ADJ n]
[LITERARY 文]
...a more effective national policy to combat this dread disease.
对抗这可怕疾病的更有效的国家政策
4
[ADJ 形容词]恼火的；生气的；不想要的 You can use dread to describe something that you, or a particular group of people, find annoying or undesirable.
[ADJ n]
[feelings]
[INFORMAL 非正式]
...the dread phrase 'politically correct'.
令人不快的短语“政治上正确”
5
See also:
dreaded
；
6
[PHRASE 短语]不敢想 If you say that you dread to think what might happen, you mean that you are anxious about it because it is likely to be very unpleasant.
[V inflects]
I dread to think what will happen in the case of a major emergency...
我不敢想在重大紧急情况下会发生什么。
I dread to think what Hollywood is planning to do with this interesting little story.
我不敢想好莱坞打算如何处理这个有趣的小故事。
Oxford
dread/dred; NAmEdred/
verb
,
noun
dreaddreadsdreadeddreadingverbto be very afraid of sth; to fear that sth bad is going to happen 非常害怕；极为担心dreadsth ◆This was the moment he had been dreading.这是他一直最担心的时刻。dreaddoing sth ◆I dread being sick.我特别害怕生病。dreadsb doing sth ◆She dreads her husband finding out.她生怕丈夫察觉出来。dreadto do sth ◆I dread to thinkwhat would happen if there really was a fire here. 我不敢想像假如这儿真的发生火灾会是什么情景。dreadthat… ◆I both hoped and dreaded that he would come.我既希望又害怕他来。noun[uncountable , countable, usually singular ]a feeling of great fear about sth that might or will happen in the future; a thing that causes this feeling 恐惧；令人惧怕的事物◆The prospect of growing old fills me with dread.想到人会一天天老下去便使我充满恐惧。◆She has an irrational dread of hospitals.她莫名其妙地害怕医院。◆The committee members live in dread of(= are always worried about)anything that may cause a scandal. 委员会成员整天提心吊胆，生怕有什么事会引起流言蜚语。◆My greatest dread is that my parents will find out.我最担心的就是父母会察觉出来。dread/dred; NAmEdred/
LDC
dread1 verb
dread2 noun
dreaddread1 /dred/ ●○○ verb
Word Origin
Verb Table
Examples
Thesaurus
Collocations
Phrases
[transitive] to feel anxious or worried about something that is going to happen or may happen: I’ve got an interview tomorrow and I’m dreading it.dread doing something I’m dreading going back to work.dread somebody doing something Tim dreaded his parents finding out.dread (that) I’m dreading that I’ll be asked to make a speech.dread the thought/prospect of (doing) something He dreaded the prospect of being all alone in that house.I dread to think what will happen if they get elected (=I think it will be very bad).
dread1 verb
dread2 noun
dreaddread2 noun
Examples
Collocations
Phrases
[singular, uncountable] a strong fear of something that is going to happen or may happendread of (doing) something the dread of losing those we lovewith dread Bernice looked with dread at the end of the passage. The prospect of flying filled me with dread. She lives in dread of (=is continuously very afraid of) the disease returning.