Fear · Feelings and energy
a sense of dread
strong fearful feeling
A strong feeling that something bad is going to happen.
This vs that
I had a sense of dread before the phone call.
I have a deep-seated fear of dogs.
Hear it in real life
How did you feel before opening the letter?
I had this horrible sense of dread.
I got a sense of dread when my manager asked me to come into her office.
Which sounds natural?
Psst — which one would you actually say?
The everyday phrase is vivid and personal; the stiff version sounds like a formal report.
The mistake everyone makes
Not: I had a dread sense before the interview.
Say: I had a sense of dread before the interview.
Use the fixed phrase 'a sense of dread'.
Build it
How it fits in a sentence.
a sense of dread; feel a sense of dread; be filled with a sense of dread
Phrases to borrow
More for talking about fear.
I'm scared stiff
I was scared stiff when the lights went out.
Fear words
Feelings and energy · Fear: the words around “a sense of dread”.
More connectionsMore fear words8
Your turn: say it out loud
I had this horrible sense of dread.
Say it out loud two or three times, until it feels like yours.
a sense of dread
strong fearful feeling
“I got a sense of dread when my manager asked me to come into her office.”
heytardy