dread

To dread something is to dislike it or hate doing it.This word is popular as a verb and as an adjective (dreadful or dreaded).

• Adrianna dreads going to work every day.
• Ahmed dreads walking down this street because he knows it’s dangerous.
• Victoria used to dread going to school, but now she likes it.
• I no longer dread having to eat vegetables. In fact, I like the way they taste.
• There’s no reason to dread a visit to the doctor.

Notice that the verb "dread" is often (but not always) followed by a gerund.

As an adjective, you can use "dreadful" or "dreaded." In this case, someone or something is terrible.

• That movie was dreadful. It was long and boring.
• Many people like her artwork; others say it’s dreadful.
• The play we went to see last night was dreadfully dull. (The word "dreadfully" is an adverb.)
• The dreaded algebra test that everyone feared turned out to be quite easy.
• A colonoscopy is a dreaded procedure, but it saves lives by finding early signs of cancer.

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Published April 4, 2013