loathe

[ lohth ]

verb (used with object)

, loathed, loath·ing.

1. to feel disgust or intense aversion for; abhor:

   I loathe people who spread malicious gossip.

   Synonyms: hate, abominate, detest

   Antonyms: like

loathe

/ ləʊð /

verb

1. tr to feel strong hatred or disgust for

Derived Forms

• ˈloather, noun

Other Words From

• loather noun
• un·loathed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of loathe¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English loth(i)en, lath(i)en, Old English lāthian, derivative of lāth loath

Word History and Origins

Origin of loathe¹

Old English lāthiān, from loath

Example Sentences

Never mind that you don’t live in South Carolina or that you loathe Mace and her politics.

From Los Angeles Times

Clearly 16 clubs were loathe to loosen them even more.

From BBC

Trump has always been loathed in New York City, especially in his former home borough of Manhattan where the vote against him was and will be dependably over 80 percent.

From Salon

I generally loathe semantic debates, but this one matters.

From Salon

The U.S., in the middle of a presidential election, is loathe to take on yet another foreign conflict.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• abhor
• despise
• detest
• hate

Loathe Vs. Loath

What’s the difference between loathe and loath?

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. Loath is an adjective that means unwilling, reluctant, or disinclined, as in They are loath to get involved in such a messy situation. 

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 loathe and loath.

Quiz yourself on loathe vs. loath!

Should loathe or loath be used in the following sentence?

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