loathe
Americanverb (used with object)
-
loathes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
loathed,
past participle, past
-
loathing
present participle
verb
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
loathesimple
-
loathessimple
-
have loathedperfect
-
has loathedperfect
-
am loathingprogressive
-
are loathingprogressive
-
is loathingprogressive
-
have been loathingperfect progressive
-
has been loathingperfect progressive
Past
-
loathedsimple
-
had loathedperfect
-
was loathingprogressive
-
were loathingprogressive
-
had been loathingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of loathe
First recorded before 900; Middle English loth(i)en, lath(i)en, Old English lāthian, derivative of lāth loath
Explanation
If you loathe someone or something, you hate them very much. You might not choose to eat raw carrots if you dislike them, but if you loathe them, you might have a hard time even having them on your plate. This word suggests a strong feeling of disgust. Near synonyms are abhor and detest. The verb loathe descends from Middle English lothen, from Old English lāthian. The related adjective loathsome means "hateful or disgusting," and the adjective loath means "not willing to do something," as in "I'm loath to cheat on a test, but I don't see what choice I have."
Vocabulary lists containing loathe
List 1
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 2
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The Westing Game
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Football coaches loathe looking backward, especially during the season, but before leaving the lectern, McVay made an exception in humorously referring to his team’s ultra-brief stay in Australia.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
The Vances, however, can’t seem to shake off suspicions that they loathe each other, no matter how many smiles they flash at the camera.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
"Maybe some people do loathe me, and that's probably true, I don't care," he said later.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Like him or loathe him, Viktor Orbán was one of a handful of leaders who consistently punched above his weight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026
“The trains. I hate them. Absolutely bloody loathe them.”
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
Whether one loves them or loathes them, the ubiquitous Big Mac burger is pretty much identical the whole world over.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
As a feminist who loathes the idea of toxic masculinity, I’ve worked to understand what is going on with the sexes these days.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
"Head coach Eddie Howe loathes to lose long-serving players in January, but this could yet be one to watch if Newcastle sense an opportunity to sign a summer target a few months early."
From BBC ● Jan. 1, 2026
Like a hostess who secretly loathes her guests, Shelley encourages her characters to flatter themselves and expose their braggadocio.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2025
“Only that he loathes school and wishes to come home.”
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
When her mentally ill mother goes missing, yet again, Lila must return to the hometown she loathed to search for her, but this time she must also deal with her estranged father, John “Dix” Dixon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
The jingle first aired in the 1990s and has been loved and loathed by listeners ever since.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026
Thirteen years on, receiving a 10-minute clip from a friend, telling you about a complex family feud or workplace drama, is an experience that is loved by some and loathed by others.
From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2026
The US president may be loathed, mocked or feared by many in Europe -- White says the job of representing him is "pretty easy".
From Barron's ● Apr. 21, 2026
In sum, he was a doll, and the Foreign Student Affairs secretary, though she loathed her job, loathed her boss, loathed working, liked him.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
This provides a viewer with that 100-proof cocktail of envy, loathing and cringy-ness that has been the gold standard of unscripted television.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Michael Jackson is a prime example of this conundrumFor his millions of devotees their love for him is rivalled in intensity only by their seething loathing for his critics.
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2026
“We wear your loathing with pride,” Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said in a post on X addressed to S&P, adding that the company “is and remains extremely profitable.”
From Barron's ● Nov. 27, 2025
I share Vejar’s loathing for the relentless “tree of heaven,” the deciduous plant that is sometimes called a stinking sumac.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2025
Thome's black eyes fixed on Tyrion with loathing.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
