dredful

Middle English

Alternative forms

• dredeful, dredefull, dredefulle, dredffol, dredfull, dreedful, dreful, drefull, drefulle
• dredvol, dredvoll (Gloucestershire, Kent)

Etymology

From dred +‎ -ful.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdrɛdful/, /ˈdrɛ̝ːdful/

Adjective

dredful

1. Having dread or fear:
   1. Scared, afraid; fearing something.
   2. Timid; tending to be frightened.
   3. Full of awe; reverential.
2. Inspiring dread or fear:
   1. Causing terror or ruin; dreadful, perilous.
      • c. 1370, [William Langland], “[Passus 8]”, in Petrus plowmon (V, A-text), Worcestershire, published c. 1390, folio 400, recto; republished as Bodleian Library MS. Eng. poet. a. 1, Oxford: Digital Bodleian, 2019 January 10:

        At þe dredful day of dom. þͬ dede ſchullen a rẏſen. / And comen alle bi foꝛe criſt. and a Coũtes ȝelden.

        At the dreaded day of judgement, the dead will rise up, / and all come before Christ to give their accounts.

   2. Causing awe; awe-inspiring.

Descendants

• English: dreadful
• Scots: dreidfu

References

• “drēdeful, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.