dread
A strong fear of something that is going to happen.
dread in a sentence
- Ella was filled with dread as the dentist's door creaked open and her name was called.
- Milo felt a cold dread as the huge rollercoaster clanked slowly towards the highest drop.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to dread?
- Acalm
- Bfear
- Chope
- Djoy
Show the answer
B: fear. The other three mean the opposite of dread.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to dread?
- Aworry
- Bterror
- Cfear
- Dhope
Show the answer
D: hope. The other three mean nearly the same as dread.
Words that mean something similar
fear, terror, worry
Words that mean the opposite
hope, calm, joy
Careful: dread is not foreboding
Dread is fear of something you know is coming. Foreboding is a feeling that something bad is coming, even when you cannot say what. Read why children mix them up.
More words about emotions & feelings
- dumbfounded: So amazed that you cannot speak.
- eager: Very keen and excited to do something.
- ecstatic: So happy that you can hardly contain it.
- elated: Extremely happy and excited.
- embrace: To hug someone warmly, or to accept something new eagerly.
- enchant: To delight someone so much that it feels like magic.
- enrage: To make someone extremely angry.
- envious: Wishing you had what someone else has.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test