Loath
Pronunciation
- RP IPA: /ləʊθ/
- US IPA: /loʊθ/Rhymes: -əʊθ
Alternative forms
- loth mostly UK
Origin
From loth, from Middle English loth ("disinclined"; "loathsome"), from Old English lÄþ ("loathsome", "evil")
Full definition of loath
Adjective
loath
- unwilling, reluctant; averse, disinclinedI was loath to return to the office without the Henderson file.
- (obsolete) hostile, angry, loathsome, unpleasant
Usage notes
Often confused in meaning and pronunciation with loathe, a related transitive verb.
This spelling is about four times as common as "loth" in the UK and fifty times as common in the US.