Greatly feared or regarded with apprehension and anxiety.
From Old English drǣdan meaning 'to fear greatly.' Related to Old High German trātan meaning 'to tremble.' The word carries the sense of anticipatory fear.
Unlike simple fear which responds to present danger, 'dread' uniquely captures the torment of anticipating future suffering - it's fear with a time dimension, making it perhaps the most psychologically complex fear word in English.
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