An archaic past tense of 'dread,' meaning to have feared or been afraid of something.
From Middle English 'adreden,' combining 'a-' (prefix intensifying or marking beginning) + 'dread' (to fear). The 'a-' prefix was common in Old and Middle English but is now archaic.
This word shows how English used to add 'a-' to verbs for emphasis—'adread' made dread feel more intense and immediate, which is why you'll find it in older poetry and Shakespeare.
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