Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

tread

/tɹɛd/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.52 in modern English

Syllables: tread
IPA: /tɹɛd/

6

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

1

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To step or walk (on or across something); to trample.

Intransitive verb

verb

To step or walk upon.

Transitive verb

verb

To proceed, to behave (in a certain manner).

verb

To beat or press with the feet.

verb

To work a lever, treadle, etc., with the foot or the feet.

verb

To go through or accomplish by walking, dancing, etc.

verb

To crush under the foot; to trample in contempt or hatred; to subdue; to repress.

verb

To copulate; said of (especially male) birds.

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

"He trod back and forth wearily."
"Don't tread on the lawn."
"And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet haue troden, shall be thine inheritance, and thy childrens for euer, because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God."
"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread."
"yee that walk The Earth, and stately tread, or lowly creep"
"Actors tread the boards."

Etymology

From Middle English treden, from Old English tredan, from Proto-West Germanic *tredan, from Proto-Germanic *trudaną.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: treden, tredan, *tredan, *trudaną, tred

Usage

Inflected Forms

treads (present, singular) treading (participle, present) trod (past) treaded (past) trodden (participle, past) trod (participle, past) treaded (participle, past) treade (alternative, obsolete) treads (plural)

Derived Forms

betread downtread downtrodden fortread midtread retread totread treadable treadboard treader treadle treadless

Phrases

as ever trod shoe-leather don't tread on me fools rush in where angels fear to tread have the black ox tread on one's foot tread a measure tread carefully tread down tread in someone'ssteps

Frequently Paired Words

trade

Synonyms

step on stomp run pace stride trample step

Antonyms

rise riser

Rhymes With

said read head red instead lead dead led bed ahead spread ed

Questions

How do you pronounce tread?: The recorded pronunciation is /tɹɛd/.
What does tread mean?: To step or walk (on or across something); to trample.
Where does tread come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce tread

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “tread”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/tɹɛd/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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