Dread is often used as a synonym for terror.
Dread is the sensation that a person suffers when they are terrified . The term is used as a synonym for fear or fear , usually if the individual in question is scared or upset with a situation. For example: “The entry of the masked man caused fear among those present,” “When I saw the car advancing at full speed in our direction, I felt fear,” “The explosion caused fear in the town, although there were injuries.”
Latin is where we find the etymological origin of the term. Specifically, it derives from fear cultism, Pavoris , which can be translated as “fright” or “terror” . It must also be stated that this Latin word was formed from the verb pavere , which means “to be scared.”
With fear, the person suffers a change in their mood . This alteration is produced by the perception of potential danger or damage , which may be real or in the subject's imagination. What dread does is place the person in a state of alert, which can serve as a defense mechanism .
Dread and other similar terms
The choice of the term dread, fear, fear, terror or other similar term usually depends on the context. The most common name for the state of anxiety of this kind is fear . Terror is usually an exacerbated fear, unlike fear , which is a less intense fear. Dread , on the other hand, is generally associated with something sudden , experienced suddenly and with great intensity.
A person, in this sense, may comment that they are afraid of rats or the dark . Chances are, if you wake up one day and suddenly find a rat on your bed, you'll be terrified by the situation. Dread usually includes reactions such as screaming, crying, and trying to escape from what is causing it.
The usual thing is that fear breaks out due to something sudden.
A sleep disorder
We cannot forget the existence of what is known as night terror .
This is a sleep disorder that young children usually experience, specifically between 3 and 12 years old, and which causes them to wake up sweating, hyperventilating and even suffering from tachycardia.
The Shock and Awe Doctrine
There is a military doctrine that is precisely related to the term we are addressing. We are referring to what is called shock and dread , called in English Shock and Awe , which aims to destroy the enemy's will to fight.
How do you achieve that purpose? Through different resources, especially highlighting demonstrations of force that are totally spectacular or carrying out maneuvers that become dominant. In this way, what is achieved is not only paralyzing the rival, in terms of perception of what is happening on the battlefield, but also the aforementioned destruction of his ability or will to fight.
Examples of the application of this type of military doctrine are found in important historical events such as the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki or even during the invasion of Iraq in 2003 .