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Shudder vs Dread - What's the difference?

shudder | dread |

In lang=en terms the difference between shudder and dread

is that shudder is to vibrate jerkily while dread is to be in dread, or great fear.

As nouns the difference between shudder and dread

is that shudder is a shivering tremor while dread is great fear in view of impending evil; fearful apprehension of danger; anticipatory terror.

As verbs the difference between shudder and dread

is that shudder is to shake nervously, as if from fear while dread is to fear greatly.

As an adjective dread is

terrible; greatly feared.

shudder

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A shivering tremor.
  • A moment of almost pleasurable fear; a frisson.

    • Synonyms

    * (shivering tremor ): jiggle, quake, rumble, quiver * (frisson ): shiver, quiver, tingle, thrill

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To shake nervously, as if from fear.
  • To vibrate jerkily.

    • Synonyms

    * (shake nervously ): palpitate, shiver, shake, quake * (vibrate jerkily ): flutter, jiggle, shake, wiggle

    See also

    * judder

    References

    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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