loathly

[ lohth-lee, lohth- ]

/ ˈloʊθ li, ˈloʊð- /

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adverb

reluctantly; unwillingly.

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Origin of loathly

before 1000; Middle English lothliche,Old English lāthlīce.See loath, -ly (adv. suffix)

Words nearby loathly

loanword, loath, loathe, loathful, loathing, loathly, loathsome, loaves, loaves and fishes, lob, Lobachevski

Other definitions for loathly (2 of 2)

loathly²

[ lohth-lee, lohth- ]

/ ˈloʊð li, ˈloʊθ- /

adjective Archaic.

loathsome; hideous; repulsive.

Origin of loathly

before 900; Middle English lothlic(e), Old English lāthlīc.See loath, -ly (adj. suffix)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use loathly in a sentence

He now looked upon him with a kind of horror, as upon some loathly and hardly human monster.
The Luck of Gerard Ridgeley|Bertram Mitford
I followed Pickering rather loathly to where the companions of his travels were pacing to and fro in the crisp morning air.
The House of a Thousand Candles|Meredith Nicholson
Arthur listened and heard the far-off thunder of the loathly worm.
Kisington Town|Abbie Farwell Brown
These insects were of an immense size, and of a loathly aspect.
The Bible in Spain|George Borrow

I don't mean only from here,—I mean away from England, to loathly India.
Emily Fox-Seton|Frances Hodgson Burnett

British Dictionary definitions for loathly (1 of 2)

loathly¹

/ (ˈləʊθlɪ) /

adverb

with reluctance; unwillingly

British Dictionary definitions for loathly (2 of 2)

loathly²

/ (ˈləʊðlɪ) /

adjective

an archaic word for loathsome

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