1
as in disgust
a dislike so strong as to cause stomach upset or queasiness
the sight of his mortal enemy getting that undeserved promotion filled him with loathing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hatred
a very strong dislike
I have an uncompromising loathing for anyone who would deliberately harm an animal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in hateful
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in hating
to dislike strongly
I simply loathe tapioca pudding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of loathing
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
Ohm, well played by Scott who can wither with you with a look, is the classic ugly American and is rude to everyone at the hotel, but those putdowns and cruelty hides his self loathing.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 23 May 2026
Lori will turn out to harbor some personal reasons for loathing Julian, but there are plenty of general reasons to resent him too.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for loathing
Noun
What Natalie does seem driven by—more than faith, more than redirected ambition—is her instinctual loathing of other women.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
Ohm, well played by Scott who can wither with you with a look, is the classic ugly American and is rude to everyone at the hotel, but those putdowns and cruelty hides his self loathing.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
That still is win-now basketball, which is all the lottery-loathing Heat continue to preach.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 23 May 2026
Lori will turn out to harbor some personal reasons for loathing Julian, but there are plenty of general reasons to resent him too.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for loathing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loathing
Noun
-
Han and his wife stare at me, disgust written all over their faces.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
The episode met with an enthusiastic response from the Taormina audience with squeals of disgust when Aemond seemingly leans into kiss his mother on the lips; as well as cheers, shocked screams and collective gasps as characters fought to the death, sometimes triumphing and sometimes not.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
His sophisticated taste and hatred for carbs always brought a little humor to the job.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
-
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, has called for calm, but several far-right personalities in Great Britain and the United States—including Elon Musk—have used the attack to foment hatred against immigrants.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
On Sunday, June 14, UFC fighter Josh Hokit took the opportunity after his win on the White House lawn to repeat a hateful lie about the former first lady.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
18 June 2026
-
Authorities suspect Mullis placed antisemitic flyers showing hateful symbols such as a noose, a swastika and imagery associated with the German Nazi Party.—
Maveah Griffith
June 12,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
The America 250-hating libs are SEETHING today.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
-
Squidward's entire existence is a joke about hating your job, and that's not exactly preschool material.—
Alex Shoemaker,
Parents,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
In certain instances, fans aren’t alone in their distaste for a show’s finale.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 2026
-
Many users expressed a distaste for the administration's post about the incident.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Koenig’s former Yankees teammates were contemptuous of that miserly decision.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
Critics are sometimes contemptuous of the way superhero entertainment has been embraced by adults, who should presumably be making their way through the Booker Prize longlist.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Many who lived through the pandemic—and witnessed this inability to combat the lethal pestilence—developed scornful opinions of the medical profession.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
-
Twelve years ago, while serving as lieutenant governor, Newsom was scornful.—
Dan Walters,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Loathing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loathing. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
