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'Loath' is the adjective meaning reluctant or unwilling; 'loathe' is the verb meaning to detest intensely.
Side-by-side comparison
"Loath" (no final 'e') is the adjective: reluctant or unwilling to do something. "I'm loath to admit it" = I am reluctant to admit it. It describes the feeling, not the action.
She was loath to admit that the original plan had been flawed from the start.
He was loath to delegate, preferring to control every detail himself.
The board was loath to approve additional spending without a clearer ROI projection.
"Loathe" (with final 'e') is the verb: to feel intense dislike or disgust. "She loathes spiders" = she detests spiders. "Loathing" is the noun that expresses that deep aversion.
She loathes early morning meetings, they consistently set her off on the wrong foot.
He loathed the commute so much that he negotiated a full-time remote arrangement.
They loathed each other professionally but managed to work together effectively on the project.
Common mistake
- •"I loath that idea" when meaning strongly dislike is wrong: the verb is "loathe" (with E).
- •"Loath" without E is the adjective meaning reluctant: "She is loath to agree".
Trick to remember it
- •"Loath" (adjective) = no final E, like being reluctant to add a letter.
- •"Loathe" (verb) = final E like "hate" and "abhor": action words ending in a silent vowel.
Quick rule
- •Is it the adjective meaning reluctant? "Loath".
- •Is it the verb meaning to detest intensely? "Loathe".
Did you know?
The LOATH/LOATHE pair follows exactly the same pattern as BREATH/BREATHE, CLOTH/CLOTHE, BATH/BATHE, the silent final E converts the noun or adjective into a verb, a mechanism inherited from Old English. LOATHE is one of the most intense emotion verbs in English, it implies physical revulsion in addition to emotional rejection, and is significantly stronger than "dislike," "detest," or even "hate." The word comes from Old English "lathian" (to cause hatred), related to Old Norse "leidr" (hateful) and German "leid" (sorrow, suffering). The adjective "loathsome" (repulsive, revolting) derives from LOATH and is used to describe something so unpleasant it provokes physical revulsion.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She is _____ to admit she was wrong. It's very hard for her.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
He absolutely _____ s cleaning the bathroom. He avoids it as long as possible.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
'Affect' is the verb meaning to influence something; 'effect' is the noun meaning result or consequence.
'Aisle' is the walkway between rows of seats or shelves; 'isle' is a small island.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy