loathe

[lohth]

verb (used with object)

loathed, loathing 

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

Other Word Forms

• loather noun
• unloathed 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

Like a hostess who secretly loathes her guests, Shelley encourages her characters to flatter themselves and expose their braggadocio.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Thatcher is loathed by many people in Argentina owing to the Falklands War, but Milei told me he admired her and that she was "brilliant."

Read more on BBC

But Johnson, like so many other conservative Christians, is so consumed by his fear and loathing of America’s liberal culture that he gladly embraced the felonious libertine.

Read more on Salon

Lai's speech followed a bruising year for the president, a staunch defender of Taiwan's sovereignty who is loathed by Beijing.

Read more on Barron's

Roads and subways have neither race nor gender, but somehow they manage to be included in GOP loathing of diversity and equity initiatives.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• abhor 
• despise 
• detest 
• hate 

When To Use

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.