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
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Recent Examples of loathing
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
His loathing for totalitarianism was among the very few hatreds Reagan ever held, his biographer Edmund Morris said.
—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 9 Jan. 2026
George Packer, The Atlantic, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for loathing
Noun
One of the series’ most creative elements is the variety of scowls Graham deploys while arguing with Hezekiah, Mary, or his younger brother, Treacle (James Nelson-Joyce), a pragmatic family man who represents everything Sugar’s life could have been if he weren’t filled with so much self-loathing.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
His loathing for totalitarianism was among the very few hatreds Reagan ever held, his biographer Edmund Morris said.
—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
The American experiment in egalitarian, multiethnic democracy fills these intellectuals with anxiety, if not loathing.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for loathing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loathing
Noun
-
But the emotion beneath it all was a very real disgust.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Anti-smoking ads that elicited the greatest feelings of disgust were found to be the most effective.—
Ralph Jones,
HubSpot,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
White people hurl the N-word at them daily, accompanied by varying degrees of hatred, disgust and violence.—
Lorraine Ali,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Feb. 2026
-
One on antisemitism and hatred and bigotry, and on that, that’s a black and white issue.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Coventry said at a news conference last week that the IOC has a safeguarding unit that monitors the organization’s social media platforms for hateful messages.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The other 1/3 were very hateful with threats, etc.—
Claire Osborn,
Austin American Statesman,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That title goes to the government of messianic zealots, Arab-hating nationalists and anti-modern ultra-Orthodox Israelis put together by Netanyahu to keep himself in power.—
Thomas L. Friedman,
Mercury News,
21 Feb. 2026
-
BrickHeadz are a little divisive, with Lego fans either loving or hating them.—
Kim Snaith,
Space.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In the process, discussions of exactly what is objectionable about his industry tend to get lost in expressions of distaste for his type.—
Dan Brooks,
The Atlantic,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Simply getting Zuckerberg on the stand Wednesday was a coup for the plaintiffs and a potential liability for his company’s platforms, which must now contend with profound public distaste for the Meta figurehead.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Hogg, who had a brief and tumultuous stint as a DNC co–vice chair in early 2025, is contemptuous of the party’s lingering cohort of elder leaders.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Written in a joking and contemptuous tone, the tweet would take on an indescribably morbid weight just five days later, when, at the behest of Governor Cláudio Castro, the Rio de Janeiro police carried out the deadliest massacre in the country’s history.—
Evandro Cruz Silva,
The Dial,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
His medium was the linocut print—clean, strong, and scornful of embellishment.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
16 Feb. 2026
-
And with a scornful undercurrent at the fact that Charli apparently stole Johannes out from under her.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Loathing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loathing. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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