Dreads

The plural of 'dread', encompassing feelings of significant fear, apprehension, or anxiety about something that might happen or that currently exists. It's often a powerful, overwhelming emotion, anticipating a negative outcome or a painful experience. The source of the dread can range from immediate threats to abstract concerns about the future, such as health, relationships, or financial stability. 'Dreads' can also refer to specific objects or situations that evoke these feelings, like 'the dread of an exam' or 'the dread of a long journey.' The intensity of 'dreads' can vary significantly, from mild unease to paralyzing terror. Ultimately, 'dreads' signifies a state of emotional turmoil rooted in the anticipation or awareness of something unpleasant. Sometimes it is also used to describe a particular hairstyle called dreadlocks.

Dreads meaning with examples

• The students felt dread as they approached the daunting history exam, picturing the hours of study and the potential for failure. Their shared dread created a palpable tension in the air. The pressure of the exam, created this deep sense of dread, even though most students had prepared.
• Sarah woke up with a sense of dread; the day was scheduled for a crucial meeting at work that determined the team's future. Knowing the stakes, her dread increased with each passing hour until the dread was so bad that it made her physically ill.
• The soldiers experienced dread before entering the battlefield, facing the unknown dangers that lurked ahead and potentially having to engage in combat, knowing the outcome could be terrible for the people around them.
• Every morning, she awoke with a dread of facing the daily commute, knowing the traffic would be heavy and the journey would be a frustrating slog and this caused daily stress and dread for the poor woman.
• He had a constant dread of developing the same illness that had taken his father, spending a lot of time worrying about his health and how it would influence his life and the lives of those closest to him.