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Menace vs Dread - What's the difference?

menace | dread |

As nouns the difference between menace and dread

is that menace is a perceived threat or danger while dread is great fear in view of impending evil; fearful apprehension of danger; anticipatory terror.

As verbs the difference between menace and dread

is that menace is to make threats against (someone); to intimidate while dread is to fear greatly.

As an adjective dread is

terrible; greatly feared.

menace

English

Etymology 1

First attested ante 1300: from the (etyl) manace, menace, from the (etyl) .

Noun

(menaces)
  • a perceived threat or danger
  • * Dryden
    • the dark menace of the distant war
  • the act of threatening
  • an annoying and bothersome person

    • References

    * “ menace, n.'']” listed in the '' [2nd Ed.; 1989

    Etymology 2

    First attested in 1303: from the (etyl) menacer, manecier, manechier and the (etyl) manasser, from the assumed , whence .

    Verb

    (transitive'' or ''intransitive )
  • To make threats against (someone); to intimidate.
    • to menace a country with war
  • * Shakespeare
    • My master did menace me with death.
  • To threaten (an evil to be inflicted).
  • * Shakespeare
    • By oath he menaced / Revenge upon the cardinal.
  • To endanger (someone or something); to imperil or jeopardize.

    • References

    * “ menace, v.'']” listed in the ''Oxford English Dictionary [2nd Ed.; 1989 ----

    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

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