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
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loathesimple
-
loathessimple
-
have loathedperfect
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has loathedperfect
-
am loathingprogressive
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are loathingprogressive
-
is loathingprogressive
-
have been loathingperfect progressive
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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:
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
As much as locals loathe Pillarhenge, they idolize Pinky.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
However, as the season goes on, "even Rue can't quite make you care about this sorry group of amoral ghouls, who seem to loathe themselves as much as each other", Halls concluded.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026
She understood him when he spoke of history, or of politics—though she claimed to loathe the subject—and even had a great deal to say about the theater.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
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
I can't see her doing that if she loathes me.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
The controversies have coincided with a drop in Reform polling support and in popularity for Farage, long a divisive figure loved and loathed in largely equal measure.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Eight months ago, no one in college football was as widely loathed as Lane Kiffin.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Musk also told The Economist he was well aware he was "loathed" by some.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 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 colonel had never liked the chaplain and now he loathed and distrusted him.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
“Last summer there was lots of kind of fear and loathing about AI,” Lichtenberg said, “and I feel like there’s been a vibe shift.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 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
Of course he shares the same loathing of FEMA.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2025
His loathing of his father kept circling back to self-loathing.
From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner
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.
