First Known Use: 12th century
Dictionary
loathe
verb \ˈlōth\
: to hate (someone or something) very much
loathedloath·ing
Full Definition of LOATHE
transitive verb
See loathe defined for English-language learners
See loathe defined for kids
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Examples of LOATHE
- 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
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Origin of LOATHE
Middle English lothen, from Old English lāthian to dislike, be hateful, from lāth
Synonym Discussion of LOATHE
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>.
Rhymes with LOATHE
LOATHE Defined for Kids
loathe
verb \ˈlōth\
loathedloath·ing
Definition of LOATHE for Kids
: to dislike greatly
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