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
-
are loathingprogressive
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is loathingprogressive
-
have been loathingperfect progressive
-
has been loathingperfect progressive
Past
-
loathedsimple
-
had loathedperfect
-
was loathingprogressive
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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:
“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
Like him or loathe him, Viktor Orbán was one of a handful of leaders who consistently punched above his weight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026
Across the country we will see some people actively voting for their party of choice, while others vote to stop the party they loathe most.
From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026
Although the Nemesi might sense a bit of themselves reflected in the ship, they see only that which they loathe.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
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
She loathes the former and lusts after the latter, and her heightened emotions and cabaret dreams swell to a magnificent, hysterical crescendo unlike Broadway has ever seen.
From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2025
"My royal brother loves tournaments and feasts," Renly Baratheon said, "and he loathes what he calls 'counting coppers.'"
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
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
Gradel had spent years in academia, which he loathed.
From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026
The US president may be loathed, mocked or feared by many in Europe -- White says the job of representing him is "pretty easy".
From Barron's ● Apr. 21, 2026
Instead I loathed her pride, her lies, and her disdain of me when I should have despised myself for lying to Gertrude.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
He seems to have felt instant solidarity with his brothers and loathing for his bosses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 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
I share Vejar’s loathing for the relentless “tree of heaven,” the deciduous plant that is sometimes called a stinking sumac.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2025
Judging by social media, my irrepressible loathing of Leavitt's smug visage and pompous voice makes me typical of my demographic: progressive, college-educated women between the ages of 25 and 65.
From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2025
Harry, knowing and loathing Malfoy, was sure the reason could not be innocent.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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.
