LOATH

antipathetic, antipathetical, averse, indisposed, loath, loth

(adjective) (usually followed by ā€˜to’) strongly opposed; ā€œantipathetic to new ideasā€; ā€œaverse to taking risksā€; ā€œloath to go on such short noticeā€; ā€œclearly indisposed to grant their requestā€

loath, loth, reluctant

(adjective) unwillingness to do something contrary to your custom; ā€œa reluctant smileā€; ā€œloath to admit a mistakeā€

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology 1

Adjective

loath (comparative loather, superlative loathest)

Averse, disinclined; reluctant, unwilling.

(obsolete) Angry, hostile.

(obsolete) Loathsome, unpleasant.

Usage notes

• The spelling loath is about four times as common as loth in Britain, and about fifty times as common in the United States.

• The word should not be confused with the related verb loathe.

Etymology 2

Verb

loath (third-person singular simple present loaths, present participle loathing, simple past and past participle loathed)

Obsolete spelling of loathe.

Anagrams

• Athol, altho, altho', lotah, tolah

Source: Wiktionary


Loath, a. Etym: [OE. looth, loth, AS. la hostile, odious; akin to OS. l, G. leid, Icel. lei, Sw. led, G. leiden to suffer, OHG. lidan to suffer, go, cf. AS. li to go, Goth. leipan, and E. lead to guide.]

1. Hateful; odious; disliked. [Obs.] Chaucer.

2. Filled with disgust or aversion; averse; unwilling; reluctant; as, loath to part. Full loth were him to curse for his tithes. Chaucer . Why, then, though loath, yet must I be content. Shak.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

8 June 2025

EXECUTION

(noun) (law) the completion of a legal instrument (such as a contract or deed) by signing it (and perhaps sealing and delivering it) so that it becomes legally binding and enforceable


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