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loathe

C2
verb

Pronunciation

UK

  • /lˈəʊð/

US

  • /ˈloʊð/

Description

To loathe something is not just to dislike it. It means feeling very strong hatred or disgust. In a story, a villain might loathe the hero because of jealousy or anger. In daily life, someone might loathe doing laundry, and in a novel, a character might loathe injustice. Unlike "dislike," which can be mild, this word shows a much stronger feeling. A chef might loathe wasting good ingredients, while a traveler might loathe long airport security lines.

Examples

  1. 1

    Work meetings

    I loathe long meetings that could have been emails.

  2. 2

    Punctuality

    She loathes being late, so she always leaves early.

  3. 3

    Sensory reaction

    He absolutely loathes the smell of cigarette smoke.

  4. 4

    Unwanted request

    They loathed the idea of asking their parents for money.

    • Pattern

      loathe the idea of doing X

      strongly dislike even thinking about doing it

  5. 5

    Self-disgust

    After the argument, she loathed herself for saying such cruel things.

    • Pattern

      loathe yourself for + action

      feel strong shame or disgust about what you did

  6. 6

    Workplace reaction

    The new policy was loathed by many of the staff.

    • Grammar

      be loathed by + person/group

      be strongly disliked by that person or group

Forms and spellings

4 forms open this card.

Main spelling

  • loatheverb

Forms

  • loathing-ing formverb
  • loathedpast tenseverb
  • loathesverb