loathe

verb

ˈlōt͟h 

loathed; loathing

transitive verb

: to dislike greatly and often with disgust or intolerance : detest

loather noun

Synonyms of loathe

• hate

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of loathe in a Sentence

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

They were rivals who truly loathed each other.

I loathe having to do this.

It was a habit his wife loathed.

Recent Examples on the Web

While shorting is a common way for firms to hedge their bets, business leaders tend to loathe activist shorts — the folks who target a company by name, bet against it and trash-talk it in the financial press. — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 23 July 2026

Every neutral who loathes the Albiceleste makes a carve-out for the little genius. — Shann Biglione, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

But the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services subtly doubled down on another major policy that hospitals loathe. — Bob Herman, STAT, 20 July 2026

Some still come to pick a fight over Lincoln as a uniter or a divider, a figure to be lauded or loathed, or connect Lincoln to modern divides. — Chris Kenning, USA Today, 2 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English lothen, from Old English lāthian to dislike, be hateful, from lāth

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for loathe

• clothe

Kids Definition

loathe

verb

ˈlōt͟h 

loathed; loathing

: to feel extreme disgust for or at

loathe the smell of burning rubber

loather noun