Dictionary

loathe en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈləʊð/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio
• /ˈloʊð/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English lothe, from Old English lāþian, from Proto-West Germanic *laiþēn, from Proto-Germanic *laiþāną. Cognate with Old Norse leiðask ( > Danish ledes, Icelandic leiðast, all reflexive), German Leid.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To detest, hate, or revile (someone or something).
   • To Scriptures read they muſt their leaſure frame, / Then loath they will both luſt and wanton love; […] 1576, George Whetstone, “The Castle of Delight: […]”, in The Rocke of Regard, […], London: […] [H. Middleton] for Robert Waley, →OCLC; republished in J[ohn] P[ayne] Collier, editor, The Rocke of Regard, […] (Illustrations of Early English Poetry; vol. 2, no. 2), London: Privately printed, [1867?], →OCLC, page 20:
   • Loathing the honeyed cakes, I long for bread. a. 1667, Abraham Cowley, Of Agriculture:
   • Quick-loving hearts, I thought, may quickly loathe 1850, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “Sonnet XXXII”, in Sonnets from the Portuguese:
   • I loathe scrubbing toilets.
   • She understands me like you did / She really loves me / I'm a saint living in sin / Oh, she really loathes me 2021 October 8, Will Yip, Alexia Roditis, Narsai Malik, Violet Mayugba, “Drink”, in Open Mouth, Open Heart, performed by Destroy Boys:
   • […] O Hypocrites! ye hope for Enjoyment of Chriſt, but be perſwaded of it, Chriſt ſhall eternally loath you, and ye ſhall eternally loath Chriſt: […] 1736, Andrew Gray, “Sermon VI. Acts xxvi. 18. …”, in Great and Precious Promises: or, Some Sermons Concerning the Promises, and the Right Application thereof. […], Glasgow: Printed by William Duncan, […], →OCLC, page 115:
   • I absolutely loathe this place.
   • This movie is a historical achievement: Clint Eastwood, an icon of violence, has made us loathe violence as an obscenity. “Mystic River” hurts the way sad stories always hurt, but the craft and love with which it has been made transfigure pain into a moviegoer’s rapture 2003 October 13, The New Yorker:
2. (obsolete) To induce or inspire disgust (in a person)
   • How heartily he serves me! his face loathes one, But look upon his care, who would not love him? 1622 (first performance), Thomas Middleton, William Rowley, The Changeling: […], London: […] [Thomas Newcombe] for Humphrey Moseley, […], published 1653, →OCLC, Act V, signature H2, verso:

Forms

Deriveds

loathe-worthy · loathsome · loather · loathable · loathing · self-loathing

Relateds

loath · loth

Synonyms

abominate · despise · abhor

Translations (66)

cmn 厭惡 /厌恶 (to detest, hate, revile) · cmn 嫌惡 /嫌恶 (to detest, hate, revile) · es odiar (to detest, hate, revile) · da afsky (to detest, hate, revile) · nb avsky (to detest, hate, revile) · sco laith (to detest, hate, revile) · pl gardzić (to detest, hate, revile) · bg ненавиждам (to detest, hate, revile) · da hade (to detest, hate, revile) · it aborrire (to detest, hate, revile) · et vihkama (to detest, hate, revile) · de ablehnen (to detest, hate, revile) · fr détester (to detest, hate, revile) · nl verafschuwen (to detest, hate, revile) · la abōminor (to detest, hate, revile) · et jälestama (to detest, hate, revile) · grc βδελύσσομαι (to detest, hate, revile) · it detestare (to detest, hate, revile) · ja 唾棄する (to detest, hate, revile) · hu ki nem állhat (to detest, hate, revile) · hu utál (to detest, hate, revile) · ca detestar (to detest, hate, revile) · fr haïr (to detest, hate, revile) · eo abomeni (to detest, hate, revile) · pt detestar (to detest, hate, revile) · ro urî (to detest, hate, revile) · uga 𐎌𐎐𐎀 (to detest, hate, revile) · gd fuathaich (to detest, hate, revile) · io abominar (to detest, hate, revile) · ml വെറുക്കുക (to detest, hate, revile) · es repugnar (to detest, hate, revile) · uk нена́видіти (to detest, hate, revile) · pl nienawidzić (to detest, hate, revile) · it odiare (to detest, hate, revile) · fa متنفر بودن (to detest, hate, revile) · io odiegar (to detest, hate, revile) · mi whakaetieti (to detest, hate, revile) · ja 忌み嫌う (to detest, hate, revile) · tr iğrenmek (to detest, hate, revile) · de verabscheuen (to detest, hate, revile) · ru не люби́ть (to detest, hate, revile) · es detestar (to detest, hate, revile) · grc στυγέω (to detest, hate, revile) · eo malamegi (to detest, hate, revile) · ru не выноси́ть (to detest, hate, revile) · izh inhota (to detest, hate, revile) · ro dușmăni (to detest, hate, revile) · ru ненави́деть (to detest, hate, revile) · cs ošklivit si (to detest, hate, revile) · mi mauāhara (to detest, hate, revile) · cmn 討厭 /讨厌 (to detest, hate, revile) · mnc ᡴᡳᠨᡠᠮᠪᡳ (to detest, hate, revile) · de hassen (to detest, hate, revile) · ca avorrir (to detest, hate, revile) · fr exécrer (to detest, hate, revile) · hy գարշել (to detest, hate, revile) · ja 大嫌い (to detest, hate, revile) · hy զզվել (to detest, hate, revile) · ro detesta (to detest, hate, revile) · yi פֿײַנט האָבן (to detest, hate, revile) · fi inhota (to detest, hate, revile) · io repugnesar (to detest, hate, revile) · te అసహ్యించుకొను (to detest, hate, revile) · it abominare (to detest, hate, revile) · hu gyűlöl (to detest, hate, revile) · cs hnusit si (to detest, hate, revile)