I wonder if you agree that "dread" and "terror" mean quite similar that we can almost always use them interchangeably!
Actually, based on dictionary definitions, they both mean, **a stronger version" of fear that we have when we are extremely frightened.
I have found a link including the claim below:
- Dread is defined as terror or apprehension about something in the future.
All being said, it would sound logical to say that "dreadful" and "terrifying" should mean the same.
Somewhere else, it has mentioned that:
- Dread is the first and strongest of the three kinds of fear.
I wonder what do you think of them? To me, more or less they all mean the same, though some people have tried to distinguish them, but I doubt if even native speakers observe such tiny differences as some default rules.
For instance, I don't know how a native would interpret and utilize this description as a rule:
- The distinction between horror and terror is a standard literary and psychological concept applied especially to Gothic and horror fiction.1 Terror is usually described as the feeling of dread and anticipation that precedes the horrifying experience. By contrast, horror is the feeling of revulsion that usually follows a frightening sight, sound, or otherwise experience. [Source]
Please note that I have read all the related threads on the forum like [this], but I'm afraid I didn't find them helpful enough.