🇬🇧 Dread meaning: English Vocabulary Flash Card

To dread something means you feel really nervous, scared, or worried when you think about it happening, even if it hasn’t happened yet.

I dread when Grandma says, “Back in my day…,” because I know I’m about to hear a 400-year-long story.

I dread when the teacher says, “This won’t be graded,” because that always means it’s secretly very important.

I dread when my dad says, “Let’s do some quick math,” because his “quick” usually lasts longer than a movie.

I dread when the dentist says, “You might feel a tiny pinch,” because grown-ups and I have very different ideas of tiny.

Some people dread Friday the 13th as an unlucky day, but I mostly dread it because my friends use it as an excuse to jump out and scare me every five minutes.

I dread the knock at the door. I dread the slow footstep. We dread the night. They dread the red light across the hall. You dread the name on the paper. Then the door opens and a child runs in laughing; we no longer dread, and we laugh and cry with relief.

Learn the meaning of dread with our educational learning resources. Download a colorful poster, print engaging games, and enjoy an easy story where the word dread appears in context. 👍

This word is at the C2 level, which means it represents the highest mastery of English. It’s often used in specialized or highly formal contexts and helps you communicate with precision and subtlety, much like a native speaker.

Expanding your English vocabulary is one of the best ways to improve your pronunciation, spelling, and confidence in English. Watch the video above to memorize the word, understand its meaning, and see example sentences in action. Discover related words to grow your vocabulary naturally. Add words to your playlist for stress-free, effective learning—anytime, anywhere! Watch, learn, repeat.