Word for not looking forward to

Any single word that means «not to look forward to»? Like «dread» but not as strong, or «dislike» but for something that hasn’t happened yet? «She came to _____ the two weeks of a major tournament.»

Thanks for all the thought. What a great site. The context, which I should have made clearer, is that she doesn’t look forward to a major tournament because she doesn’t like tennis and her brother wants to watch every minute of it. The tone should be slightly amusing. «His sister, not yet a tennis player, came to ___ the two weeks of a major tournament.» In this context, I think something like @user307254’s «despair over» comes the closest.

asked Mar 26, 2019 at 22:01

I would say that the antonym of look forward to would be have reservations about:

She came to have reservations about the two weeks of a major tournament.

From Merriam-Webster’s definition of reservation:

2 b : DOUBT, MISGIVING
// had serious reservations about marriage

Of course, have misgivings about could also be used.

If you need a single word, then:

She came to question the two weeks of a major tournament. OR
She came to doubt the two weeks of a major tournament.

answered Mar 27, 2019 at 2:57

Consider anxious:

Feeling or showing worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome.
‘she was extremely anxious about her exams’
‘an anxious look’
_{Oxford Living Dictionaries}

For your usage:

She was anxious during the two weeks before a major tournament.

answered Mar 26, 2019 at 23:30

Regret[ ri-gret ]

verb (used with object), re·gret·ted, re·gret·ting.

1) to feel sorrow or remorse for (an act, fault, disappointment, etc.):
He no sooner spoke than he regretted it.

Source: Dictionary.com

«His sister, not yet a tennis player, would come to regret the two weeks of a major tournament.»

answered Nov 17, 2019 at 4:36

foreboding (Cambridge Dictionary)

a feeling that something very bad is going to happen soon

She had a strange foreboding about the next two weeks of the tournament.

answered Nov 18, 2019 at 2:26

I would recommend
‘despair‘.

According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary
(https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/despair):

despair

intransitive verb

: to lose all hope or confidence

despair of winning

transitive verb

obsolete : to lose hope for

answered Mar 27, 2019 at 7:57

Reluctance[ ri-luhk-tuh ns ]

noun

1) unwillingness; disinclination.

Source: Dictionary.com

———-

reluctant[ ri-luhk-tuhnt ]

adjective

1) unwilling; disinclined:

Source: Dictionary.com

“His sister, not yet a tennis player, is reluctant about the two weeks of a major tournament.»

“His sister is reluctant about the two weeks of a major tournament because she is not yet a tennis player .»

“His sister’s reluctance about the two weeks of a major tournament is because she is not yet a tennis player .»

answered Nov 17, 2019 at 4:50

Reticent[ ret-uh-suhnt ]

adjective

1) disposed to be silent or not to speak freely; reserved.

2) reluctant or restrained.

Source: Dictionary.com

See also reticence

answered Nov 17, 2019 at 5:03

worry [about]

I was first going to suggest fear, but that’s almost as far along the spectrum as dread.

Edited to add the (pretty obvious, I must say) about because of downvotes. It works:

• «She came to worry about the two weeks of a major tournament.»

answered Mar 26, 2019 at 22:26