Fear vs Dread - What's the difference?

Dread is a synonym of fear.

In transitive terms the difference between fear and dread

is that fear is regret while dread is to fear greatly.

In obsolete terms the difference between fear and dread

is that fear is to suspect; to doubt while dread is fury; dreadfulness.

As nouns the difference between fear and dread

is that fear is (uncountable: unpleasant emotion caused by actual or perceived danger) A strong, uncontrollable, unpleasant emotion caused by actual or perceived danger or threat while dread is great fear in view of impending evil; fearful apprehension of danger; anticipatory terror.

As verbs the difference between fear and dread

is that fear is to cause fear to; to frighten while dread is to fear greatly.

As adjectives the difference between fear and dread

is that fear is able; capable; stout; strong; sound while dread is terrible; greatly feared.

fear

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) feer, fere, fer, from (etyl) . The verb is from (etyl) feren, from (etyl) , from the noun.

Noun

(lb) A strong, uncontrollable, unpleasant emotion caused by actual or perceived danger or threat.

, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=8 , passage=I corralled the judge, and we started off across the fields, in no very mild state of fear of that gentleman's wife, whose vigilance was seldom relaxed.}}

Turning back, then, toward the basement staircase, she began to grope her way through blinding darkness, but had taken only a few uncertain steps when, of a sudden, she stopped short and for a little stood like a stricken thing, quite motionless save that she quaked to her very marrow in the grasp of a great and enervating fear .

* {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)

, chapter=18 citation , passage=‘Then the father has a great fight with his terrible conscience,’ said Munday with granite seriousness. ‘Should he make a row with the police

(lb) A phobia, a sense of fear induced by something or someone.

Serene, smiling, enigmatic, she faced him with no fear whatever showing in her dark eyes. The clear light of the bright autumn morning had no terrors for youth and health like hers.

(lb) Extreme veneration or awe, as toward a supreme being or deity.

* Bible, (w)

I will put my fear in their hearts.

* Bible, (Psalms)

I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Synonyms

* , terror, fright * , anxiety, apprehension * (extreme veneration) awe, reverence, veneration * See also

Derived terms

* affear * fearful * fearless * fearmonger * fearnaught * fearsome * no fear

Verb

(en verb)

To cause fear to; to frighten.

* :

Thenne the knyghte sayd to syre Gawayn / bynde thy wounde or thy blee chaunge / for thou bybledest al thy hors and thy fayre armes // For who someuer is hurte with this blade he shalle neuer be staunched of bledynge / Thenne ansuerd gawayn hit greueth me but lytyl / thy grete wordes shalle not feare me ne lasse my courage

* (William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)

Tush, tush! fear boys with bugs.

(label) To feel fear about (something); to be afraid of; to consider or expect with alarm.

* (William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)

I greatly fear my money is not safe.

At twilight in the summer there is never anybody to fear —man, woman, or cat—in the chambers and at that hour the mice come out. They do not eat parchment or foolscap or red tape, but they eat the luncheon crumbs.

* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-19, author= Mark Tran

, volume=189, issue=6, page=1, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Denied an education by war , passage=One particularly damaging, but often ignored, effect of conflict on education is the proliferation of attacks on schools

(lb) To venerate; to feel awe towards.

(lb) Regret.

(lb) To be anxious or solicitous for.

* (William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)

The sins of the father are to be laid upon the children, thereforeI fear you.

(lb) To suspect; to doubt.

* (William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)

Fear you not her courage?

Synonyms

* be afraid of, be frightened of, be scared of, be terrorised/terrorized be * (venerate) be in awe of, revere, venerate

Derived terms

* fear not * God-fearing * never fear

Etymology 2

From (etyl) fere, feore, from (etyl) . Related to (l).

Alternative forms

* (l)

Adjective

(en adjective)

(dialectal) Able; capable; stout; strong; sound.

hale and fear

Statistics

Anagrams

* * * English abstract nouns 1000 English basic words ----

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.

Anagrams

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