Ethelred n 1: king of the English who succeeded to the throne after his half-brother Edward the Martyr was murdered; he struggled unsuccessfully against the invading Danes (969-1016) [syn: {Ethelred II}, {Ethelred the Unready}] 2: king of Wessex and Kent and elder brother of Alfred; Alfred joined Ethelred's battle against the invading Danes and succeeded him on his death (died in 871) [syn: {Ethelred I}]