The dreaded happened

I would probably understand what you meant, but I would not recommend saying it that way. Dreaded is an adjective, not a noun. It would be understood that you meant "the dreaded 'something' happened", but it would be much better to say it in full.

MustAskDoes it make sense?

Yes, in the right context. You can also say:
"What we dreaded most happened."

AlpheccaStars"What we dreaded most happened."

Note that in this case dreaded is a verb.

Blue Jay AlpheccaStars"What we dreaded most happened."Note that in this case dreaded is a verb.

Yes, but so is 'unexpected' as in

"... and then suddenly the unexpected happened"

MustAsk Blue Jay AlpheccaStars"What we dreaded most happened."Note that in this case dreaded is a verb.Yes, but so is 'unexpected' as in"... and then suddenly the unexpected happened"

No, the unexpected is a noun. Unexpected in his arrival was unexpected is an adjective.

Oh sorry, I just realized that. Thanks for pointing that out! Is there something I can substitute for "the dreaded something ". In a general context " the dreaded thing happened" is just too cheesy in my opinion. I need something that is short and concise, simply because I happen to hate circumlocutions.

I would probably follow AlpheccaStars' suggestion. If you want to keep your original construction you could say the dreaded event, or the dreaded circumstance. What event did you have in mind?

MustAskCan I say "the dreaded happened"?Does it make sense?

It's possible, but not great. Maybe you mean Something dreadful happened?

CJ

MustAskIs there something I can substitute for "the dreaded something ". I

Why don't you tell us what the dreaded is?

eg.
Microsoft Engineer: Our users report the dreaded "blue-screen" bug every day, but we are unable to reproduce it.
Apple Engineer: Our customers report the dreaded "Apple stores are out of inventory" every day, but our facto