Dread
Dread adjective - Causing fear.
Usage example: every ship on the Spanish Main was terrified of running into the dread pirate
Frightful is a synonym for dread in terrible topic. In some cases you can use "Frightful" instead an adjective "Dread", when it comes to topics like dreadful, horrible, awful, frightening. popular alternative
Frightful
Frightful adjective - Causing fear.
Usage example: a frightful sound emanated from somewhere deep within the forest
Dread is a synonym for frightful in terrible topic. You can use "Dread" instead the word "Frightful" as an adjective or a noun, if it concerns topics such as dreadful. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
Both words in one sentence
-
Drone of Dread: A frightful metallic-sounding droning theme plays as the Terminator prepares to shoot Sarah Connor in the night club.
Source: Film / The Terminator -
Igora: Like one who on a lonely road doth walk in fear and dread, and having wants of turning around walks on, and turns no more his head, because he knows a frightful fiend doth close behind him tread: Frankenstein!
Source: Film / Monster Brawl
Cite this Source
Frightful and Dread. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/dread/frightful
Dread & Frightful. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/dread/frightful>.
Frightful or Dread. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/dread/frightful.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "dread" and "frightful" have occurred on timeline