loath

or loth

[ lohth, lohth ]

adjective

1. unwilling; reluctant; disinclined; averse:

   to be loath to admit a mistake.

   Antonyms: eager

loath

/ ləʊθ /

adjective

1. usually foll by to reluctant or unwilling
2. nothing loath
   willing

Derived Forms

• ˈloathness, noun

Other Words From

• loathness noun
• over·loath adjective
• un·loath adjective
• un·loathly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of loath¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of loath¹

Old English lāth (in the sense: hostile); related to Old Norse leithr

Synonym Study

See reluctant.

Example Sentences

Soto would certainly fill a major need for the team in the outfield this winter, but the organization would typically be loath to consider such an expensive bid for a free-agent player.

From Los Angeles Times

Moving populations is complicated; not only have many spent centuries on their land and are loath to leave it, but finding another location that is safe and has access to reliable water is complicated.

From BBC

And like them or loath them, video meetings are here to stay, via the likes of Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet.

From BBC

Connecticut-based Charter’s executives, including Chief Executive Christopher L. Winfrey, were loath to agree to a new pact that would significantly raise fees for subscribers who continue to pay for their channel bundles.

From Los Angeles Times

Some investment committees, Maloney said, are loath to give in to demands because they think of it as a slippery slope.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• afraid
• hesitant
• reluctant
• unwilling

Loath Vs. Loathe

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.

Quiz yourself on loath vs. loathe!

Should loath or loathe be used in the following sentence?

He was _____ to be so blunt, but he felt it was necessary.