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Dread vs Affright - What's the difference?

dread | affright | Related terms |

As verbs the difference between dread and affright

is that dread is to fear greatly while affright is to terrify, to frighten, to inspire fright.

As nouns the difference between dread and affright

is that dread is great fear in view of impending evil; fearful apprehension of danger; anticipatory terror while affright is great fear, terror, fright.

As an adjective dread

is terrible; greatly feared.

dread

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • To fear greatly.
  • To anticipate with fear.
    • I'm dreading getting the results of the test, as it could decide my whole life.
  • * 1877 , (Anna Sewell), (Black Beauty) Chapter 22[http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Black_Beauty/22]
    • Day by day, hole by hole our bearing reins were shortened, and instead of looking forward with pleasure to having my harness put on as I used to do, I began to dread it.
  • To be in dread, or great fear.
  • * Bible, Deuteronomy i. 29
    • Dread not, neither be afraid of them.

    Derived terms

    * dreadable * dreadworthy

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Great fear in view of impending evil; fearful apprehension of danger; anticipatory terror.
  • * Tillotson
    • the secret dread of divine displeasure
  • * Shakespeare
    • the dread of something after death
  • * '>citation
  • Reverential or respectful fear; awe.
  • * Bible, Genesis ix 2.
    • The fear of you, and the dread of you, shall be upon every beast of the earth.
  • * Shakespeare
    • His sceptre shows the force of temporal power, / The attribute to awe and majesty, / Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings.
  • Somebody or something dreaded.
  • (obsolete) A person highly revered.
  • * Spenser
    • Una, his dear dread
  • (obsolete) Fury; dreadfulness.
    • (Spenser)
  • A Rastafarian.
  • (chiefly, in the plural) dreadlock

    • Adjective

    (er)
  • Terrible; greatly feared.
  • (archaic) Awe-inspiring; held in fearful awe.
  • *

    • See also

    * dreadlocks * dreadnought

    Anagrams

    * * *

    affright

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • great fear, terror, fright

    • Synonyms

    * See also

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • to terrify, to frighten, to inspire fright
  • * Shakespeare
    • Dreams affright our souls.
  • * Milton
    • A drear and dying sound / Affrights the flamens at their service quaint.

    Synonyms

    * See also