Synonyms

loathe

American

[lohth] / loʊð /

verb (used with object)

loathed, loathing

to feel disgust or intense aversion for; abhor.

I loathe people who spread malicious gossip.

Synonyms:

hate, abominate, detest

Antonyms:

like

loathe British

/ ləʊð /

verb

(tr) to feel strong hatred or disgust for

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

loather noun
unloathed adjective

Etymology

Origin of loathe

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

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.

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

In high school and at the beginning, I really loathed it.

From Los Angeles Times

Sure, it’s easy to loathe New England fans, who are spoiled rotten after six Super Bowls, and need another trophy in the way a cat needs sunglasses.

From The Wall Street Journal

How terribly she had behaved, as coarsely as her uncle, whom she loathed.

From Literature

“Hold on, what are you suggesting? My mum loathed Hitler as much as I do!”

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023