dread

Universal Words verb, noun verb to be very afraid of sth; to fear that sth bad is going to happen: [VN] This was the moment he had been dreading. * [V-ing] I dread being sick. * [VN-ing] She dreads her husband finding out. * [Vtoinf] I dread to think what would happen if there really was a fire here. [also Vthat] noun [U,C,usually sing.] a feeling of great fear about sth that might or will happen in the future; a thing that causes this feeling: The prospect of growing old fills me with dread. * She has an irrational dread of hospitals. * The committee members live in dread of (= are always worried about) anything that may cause a scandal. * My greatest dread is that my parents will find out.