Meaning & use
dread expression
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A look on someone's face that shows great fear or worry about something bad that might happen.
Grammar: Countable: a dread expression, the dread expression on his face.
Patterns
- a dread expression
- with a dread expression
- the dread expression on someone's face
She had a dread expression when she heard the news.
He looked at the exam paper with a dread expression.
The dread expression on his face told me something was wrong.
Word forms
| plural | dread expressions |
|---|
Common combinations
- a look of dread
- She gave me a look of dread.
- a dread expression on someone's face
- There was a dread expression on his face.
- with a dread expression
- He stared at the door with a dread expression.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fearful look
- More general and common; 'dread expression' emphasizes a strong sense of coming danger.
- horrified expression
- Shows shock and disgust more than worry; 'dread' is more about expecting something bad.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: dread expression or dead expression?
dread expression vs dead expression
A 'dead expression' means a face with no emotion, like a dead person. 'Dread expression' is about fear.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'dread expression' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Dread expression' shows fear or worry, so seeing a spider fits. The other options mix it with happy feelings, which is contradictory.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dread expression”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.