loath

adjective \ ˈlōth , ˈlōt͟h \

variants: or less commonly loth play \ˈlōth, ˈlōt͟h\ or loathe play \ˈlōt͟h, ˈlōth\

Definition of loath

:unwilling to do something contrary to one's ways of thinking :reluctant

She was loath to admit her mistakes.

—

loathness

noun

See loath defined for English-language learners

See loath defined for kids

loath was our Word of the Day on 01/26/2012. Hear the podcast!

Examples of loath in a Sentence

She was loath to admit her mistakes.
I was loath to accept his claim of having climbed Mount Everest.

Recent Examples of loath from the Web

In any event, Marshall and his colleagues appear to come in peace, asking for a job some Democrats are loath to do.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Do the New Democratic Centrists Come in Peace?," 28 Aug. 2017
Two-time All-Sun Belt selection Jeremy Reaves moved to safety at the end of last season and stayed there in the spring, and USA coaches are loath to transfer him back.

— creg stephenson, AL.com, "South Alabama cornerbacks a work in progress thus far due to injury, attrition," 2 Aug. 2017
Agency officials have also been loath to mention the possibility of NASA astronauts landing on the Moon, because George W. Bush had an initiative to return to the Moon that President Obama canceled.

— eric berger, Ars Technica, "NASA finally admits it doesn’t have the funding to land humans on Mars," 13 July 2017
President Trump himself is still loath to concede this point.

— aaron blake, Washington Post, "6 things to watch for next in the Donald Trump Jr. saga," 11 July 2017
Moderates are loath to repeal Obamacare’s regulations, but doing so is only pragmatic.

— michael f. cannon, National Review, "Bringing Senate Conservatives and Moderates Together on Health-Care Reform," 10 July 2017
Kansas faculty have been loath to support the new law.

— ellen cagle, kansascity.com, "Kansas universities, students express preparedness for guns on campus starting Saturday," 30 June 2017
But Mexican soccer fans have been loath to give up their favorite game-day chant, a homophobic slur that has been condemned by gay rights groups, government officials and international soccer authorities.

— kate linthicum, latimes.com, "Mexican soccer fans are reluctant to give up a favorite chant — an anti-gay slur," 25 June 2017
Until that base cracks, GOP politicians will be loath to distance themselves from Trump.

— alex carp, Daily Intelligencer, "13 Predictions on How Long Trump’s Presidency Will Last," 25 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'loath.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Many usage commentators point out that the spelling of loath the adjective is distinct from loathe, the verb that means "to dislike greatly." Merriam-Webster dictionaries record loathe (along with loth) as a variant spelling for the adjective, at the same time indicating that the spelling with an e is not as common as the form without it. Both words hark back to Old English, and the e ending in each has come and gone over the centuries - but if you want to avoid the ire of those who like to keep the language tidy, stick with loath for the adjective and loathe for the verb.

Origin and Etymology of loath

Middle English loth loathsome, from Old English lāth; akin to Old High German leid loathsome, Old Irish lius loathing

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 12th century

See Words from the same year

loath Synonyms

Synonyms

cagey (also cagy), disinclined, dubious, indisposed, hesitant (also loth or loathe), reluctant, reticent

Antonyms

disposed, inclined

Related Words

uneager, unenthusiastic; averse, unwilling; ambivalent, conflicted, doubtful, faltering, halting, indecisive, infirm, irresolute, questioning, skeptical, uncertain, undecided, unsure, vacillating, wobbly (also wabbly); fainthearted, shy, timid

Near Antonyms

eager, enthusiastic, glad, happy, keen; ready, willing; certain, decided, determined, resolute, sure, unquestioning

Synonym Discussion of loath

disinclined, hesitant, reluctant, loath, averse mean lacking the will or desire to do something indicated. disinclined implies lack of taste for or inclination.