Dread , a.
1. Exciting great fear or
apprehension; causing terror; frightful; dreadful.
A dread eternity! how surely mine.
Young. 2. Inspiring with reverential fear; awful' venerable; as, dread sovereign; dread majesty; dread tribunal.
Dread , n.
1. Great fear in view
of impending evil; fearful apprehension of danger; anticipatory terror.
The secret dread of divine displeasure.
Tillotson.
The dread
of something after death.
Shak. 2. Reverential or respectful fear; awe.
The fear of you, and the dread of you, shall be
upon every beast of the
earth.
Gen. ix.
2. His scepter shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the
dread and fear of kings.
Shak. 3. An object of terrified apprehension.
4.
A person highly revered. [Obs.]
"Una, his dear dread." Spenser.
5.
Fury; dreadfulness. [Obs.] Spenser.
6. Doubt; as, out of dread. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Syn. -- Awe; fear; affright; terror; horror; dismay; apprehension. See Reverence.
Dread , v. i. To be in dread, or great fear.
Dread not, neither be afraid of them.
Deut. i.
29.
Dread (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dreaded;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Dreading.]
[AS. dr&?;dan, in comp.; akin to OS.
drādan, OHG. trātan, both only in comp.] To fear in a great degree; to regard, or look forward to, with terrific apprehension.
When at length the moment dreaded through
so many years came close, the dark cloud passed away from Johnson's mind.
Macaulay.
Hear it pronounced