loathe

verb

ˈlōt͟h How to pronounce loathe (audio)
loathed; loathing
Synonyms of loathe

transitive verb

: to dislike greatly and often with disgust or intolerance : detest
loather noun

Synonyms of loathe

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hate, detest, abhor, abominate, loathe mean to feel strong aversion or intense dislike for.

hate implies an emotional aversion often coupled with enmity or malice.

hated the enemy with a passion

detest suggests violent antipathy.

detests cowards

abhor implies a deep often shuddering repugnance.

a crime abhorred by all

abominate suggests strong detestation and often moral condemnation.

abominates all forms of violence

loathe implies utter disgust and intolerance.

loathed the mere sight of them

Examples of loathe in a Sentence

In fact, he was an energetic walker his whole life, but he loathed fresh-air fiends and he was rather stuck on the idea of being dissolute. —Paul Theroux, New York Times Book Review, 21 Apr. 1991
How I loathed the look of that type on my pages! Everything I wrote seemed, in that type, arrhythmic, dull, stupid. —Joseph Epstein, The Middle of My Tether, 1983
I loathed the job so much that I did it quickly, urgently, almost violently. —W. P. Kinsella, Shoeless Joe, 1982
Pushing the table from him while he spoke, as though he loathed the sight of food, he encountered the watch: the hands of which were almost upon noon. —Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby, 1839
They were rivals who truly loathed each other. I loathe having to do this. It was a habit his wife loathed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The novel asks us to love her for her acceptance rather than to loathe her for it. — Literary Hub, 22 June 2026 Duchamp left behind a legacy that people either love or loathe. — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 29 June 2026 Even though many Metallica fans pretended to loathe the Load albums, headbangers came out for them. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 27 June 2026 Some still come to pick a fight over Lincoln as a uniter or a divider, a figure to be lauded or loathed, or connect Lincoln to modern divides. — Chris Kenning, USA Today, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for loathe

Word History

Etymology

Middle English lothen, from Old English lāthian to dislike, be hateful, from lāth

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of loathe was in the 12th century

Rhymes for loathe

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Cite this Entry

“Loathe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loathe. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

loathe

verb
ˈlōt͟h How to pronounce loathe (audio)
loathed; loathing
: to feel extreme disgust for or at
loathe the smell of burning rubber
loather noun

More from Merriam-Webster on loathe

Nglish: Translation of loathe for Spanish Speakers

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