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View synonyms for

loath

Or loth

[lohth, lohth]

adjective

  1. unwilling; reluctant; disinclined; averse.

    to be loath to admit a mistake.

    Antonyms:


loath

/ əʊθ /

adjective

  1. (usually foll by to) reluctant or unwilling

  2. willing

“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
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Other Word Forms

  • loathness noun
  • overloath adjective
  • unloath adjective
  • unloathly adverb
  • ˈDzٳԱ noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of loath1

First recorded before 900; Middle English loth, lath, Old English ٳ “hostile, hateful”; cognate with Dutch leed, German leid “sorry,” Old Norse leithr “hٱڳܱ”
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Word History and Origins

Origin of loath1

Old English ٳ (in the sense: hostile); related to Old Norse leithr
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Synonym Study

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The two women received death threats, were loath to leave home even for groceries and had to go into hiding.

From

As for Brösche, she said that as loath as she is to visit the United States again, she would not completely rule out the possibility of one day coming to Los Angeles.

From

Glenn is loath to go backward, much less indulge in personality quirks he’s outgrown because fatherhood awaits.

From

Like so many writers, Arkush was loath to let numbers get in the way of a good yarn, beginning with ranking McDermott at No. 100.

From

The Rams are loath to invest in high-priced players at inside linebacker.

From

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Related Words

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When To Use

’s the difference between loath and loathe?

Loath is an adjective that means unwilling, reluctant, or disinclined, as in They are loath to get involved in such a messy situation. 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.  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 loath and loathe.

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