loathe
Americanverb (used with object)
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
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are loathingprogressive
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is loathingprogressive
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have been loathingperfect progressive
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has been loathingperfect progressive
Past
-
loathedsimple
-
had loathedperfect
-
was loathingprogressive
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were loathingprogressive
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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:
“They’re loathe to really critique some of the foundational problems like a real ideological opponent would.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2026
England would be loathe to change both openers.
From BBC ● May 11, 2026
Alva director Bernard Donoghue OBE said: "Visitor attractions are the places that people prize most and provide the experiences that people, even in a cost-of-living crisis, are most loathe to give up."
From BBC ● Mar. 19, 2026
But it ought to bother them that 20 years ago the man they loathe most took a look at Jeffrey Epstein’s conduct and got the hell out of there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026
“What a confounded nuisance,” said Maxim, “that cupid is worth a hell of a lot. How I loathe servants’ rows too.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
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
He cited the example of a 55-year-old client who loathes his high-paying job, but can’t escape the grind.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2025
But “Battle” draws crisp, unmistakable lines, I think because Anderson loathes Lockjaw most of all.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2025
The one with an e is a verb: He loathes chicken vindaloo. may/might.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
Musk also told The Economist he was well aware he was "loathed" by some.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
If there’s one constant in this country besides death and taxes, it’s how quickly descendants of immigrants, and sometimes immigrants themselves, forget how loathed their ethnic group was and how they proved the haters wrong.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 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 EU is expected Friday to give a long-delayed go ahead to a huge trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur championed by business groups but loathed by many European farmers.
From Barron's ● Jan. 9, 2026
The colonel had never liked the chaplain and now he loathed and distrusted him.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
One of the guilty pleasures provided by “Maternal Instinct” is the unqualified loathing one feels for Parker, now on death row in Texas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
For more than two decades, attorney Robert Silverstein struck fear — and in some cases, loathing — in Hollywood’s real estate establishment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 2, 2025
“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
Of course he shares the same loathing of FEMA.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2025
Before he could conceal it, they saw through the mask the anguish of a mind in doubt, loathing to stay and dreading to leave its refuge.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
