Dread is a heavy feeling of fear or anxiety about something bad that might happen in the future. Unlike sudden fright when something jumps out at you, dread builds slowly as you think about an upcoming event you wish you could avoid.

A student might feel dread on Sunday night thinking about Monday's difficult math test, or dread going to the dentist for a filling. The feeling sits in your stomach like a weight, making it hard to enjoy what you're doing now because you keep thinking about what's coming.

Dread is different from worry. Worry bounces around in your mind, but dread feels deeper and darker. When you dread something, you're almost certain something unpleasant will happen, even if your fears might be exaggerated.

People also use dread as a verb: “She dreaded the moment the storm clouds gathered.” Sometimes we dread things that turn out fine, and sometimes our dread prepares us to face genuine challenges. Dread isn't casual nervousness but something that really gnaws at you.