loath

American  

[lohth, lohth] / loʊθ, loʊð /

Or loth

adjective

1. unwilling; reluctant; disinclined; averse.

   to be loath to admit a mistake.

   Antonyms:

   eager

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loath British  

/ ləʊθ /

adjective

1. (usually foll by to) reluctant or unwilling

2. willing

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Usage

What’s the difference between loath and loathe? Loath is an adjective that means unwilling, reluctant, or disinclined, as in They are loath to get involved in such a messy situation. Loathe is a verb that means to hate or feel extreme disgust toward, as in I loathe the way he treats his dog or My kids loathe broccoli.  Loathe always rhymes with the verb clothe. Loath can be pronounced this way, but it can also rhyme with both. Loath is only ever used as an adjective, and loathe is only ever used as a verb. Both words are generally negative, but loathe is much more negative. Loathe is also the more common of the two words. The word loathsome is an adjective form of the verb loathe that means causing feelings of loathing—disgusting or revolting. You would describe someone you loathe as loathsome. Loath is usually followed by the word to and a verb, as in I’m loath to drive that far. To remember that the verb loathe ends with an e, remember that it means the same thing as hate, which also ends with an e. Here’s an example of loath and loathe used correctly in a sentence. Example: I’m loath to think about how much he must loathe me. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between loath and loathe.

Related Words

See reluctant.

Other Word Forms

• loathness
  noun
• overloath
  adjective
• unloath
  adjective
• unloathly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of loath

First recorded before 900; Middle English loth, lath, Old English lāth “hostile, hateful”; cognate with Dutch leed, German leid “sorry,” Old Norse leithr “hateful”

Explanation

If you are loath to do something, you really don't want to do it. If you are reluctant to go swimming, people will say you are loath to swim — but if they are really mean, they might throw you in the pool anyway. The adjective loath is used to describe being extremely opposed to something. The term is generally followed by to — "The teacher was loath to let the students turn in papers late, but he made an exception for the girl who had missed class due to illness."

Example Sentences

Arbitrators who are employed time and time again by the same companies with a large number of contracts that require arbitration may be loath to rule against them and lose out on their next paycheck.

From Slate • Apr. 27, 2026

Banks would generally be loath to make such loans since software companies often have little to no reported earnings and banks tend to like traditional credit protection: profits.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

I’m loath to close up shop and sell off the pieces of my life’s work as scrap for pennies on the dollar, but at this point, I see no other option.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 10, 2026

Once seen as volatile, software came to be viewed by Wall Street as the paragon of stability, because businesses seemed loath to switch products once they became embedded in their workstreams.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 25, 2026

Those with clean tubs simply had not yet transferred the scum from their persons, and Sarai was loath to perch her moths on them.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Related Words

• afraid
• hesitant
• reluctant
• unwilling