• n. 恐惧；可怕的人（或物）
• vi. 惧怕；担心
• vt. 惧怕；担心
• adj. 可怕的

缩写自古英语ondraedan, 谏言，建议放弃，来自ond-, 相对，相反，词源同anti-, -raedan, 建议，辩理，词源同reason, read. 即劝阻，恐怖的结果，引申义恐惧，惧怕。

dread

dread: [12] Old English had the verb ondrǣdan ‘fear’. Its first syllable is generally taken to be the prefix *and- ‘against’, which is related to German ent- ‘away, un-’ and Greek anti- (source of English anti-) and appears also in English answer. The second part, however, remains a mystery. There are one or two related forms in other West Germanic languages, such as Old High German intrātan, but where they come from has never been established satisfactorily. By the end of the Old English period this obsolete prefix had shrunk to a- (adread survived until around 1400), and in the 12th century it started to disappear altogether.

dread (v.)

late 12c., a shortening of Old English adrædan, contraction of ondrædan "counsel or advise against," also "to dread, fear, be afraid," from on- "against" + rædan "to advise" (see read (v.)). Cognate of Old Saxon andradon, Old High German intraten. Related: Dreaded; dreading. As a noun from 12c.

1. I dread to think what our telephone bill is going to be.

我不敢想象我们的电话费会有多少。

来自柯林斯例句

2. I've got to go home, but Lord knows I dread it.

我必须得回家了，不过是个人都知道我很怕回去。

来自柯林斯例句

3. The old dread knotted her stomach.

从前那些可怕的经历让她的心都揪紧了。

来自柯林斯例句

4. We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.

我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办.

来自《简明英汉词典》

5. Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.

她极度恐惧的心理消除了.

来自《现代汉英综合大词典》