Modern English usage. 2014.
loath — loath; loath·er; loath·ful; loath·ing; loath·ing·ly; loath·ness; loath·some; loath·some·ly; loath·some·ness; loath·ly; … English syllables
Loath — (l[=o]th), a. [OE. looth, loth, AS. l[=a][eth] hostile, odious; akin to OS. l[=a][eth], G. leid, Icel. lei[eth]r, Sw. led, G. leiden to suffer, OHG. l[=i]dan to suffer, go, cf. AS. l[=i][eth]an to go, Goth. leipan, and E. lead to guide.] 1.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
loath — loth [ləuθ US louθ] adj [: Old English; Origin: lath] be loath to do sth formal to be unwilling to do something = ↑reluctant ▪ Sarah was loath to tell her mother what had happened … Dictionary of contemporary English
loath — [ louθ ] adjective FORMAL very unwilling to do something: RELUCTANT: loath to do something: Officials are loath to acknowledge the extent of their involvement … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
loath — [lōth, lōth] adj. [ME loth < OE lath, hostile, hateful, akin to Ger leid, sorrow (orig. adj.) < IE base * leit , to detest, abhor > Gr aleitēs, sinner] unwilling; reluctant: usually followed by an infinitive [to be loath to depart] SYN.… … English World dictionary
loath — (adj.) O.E. lað hated; hateful; hostile; repulsive, from P.Gmc. *laithaz (Cf. O.S., O.Fris. leth loathsome, O.N. leiðr hateful, hostile, loathed; M.Du. lelijc, Du. leelijk ugly; O.H.G. leid sorrowful, hateful, offensive, grievous, Ger. Leid sor … Etymology dictionary
loath — (also loth) ► ADJECTIVE ▪ reluctant; unwilling: I was loath to leave. ORIGIN Old English, «hostile» … English terms dictionary
loath|ly — loath|ly1 «LOHTH lee», adjective. = loathsome. (Cf. ↑loathsome) ╂[Old English lāthlīc < lāth hostile] loath|ly2 «LOHTH lee, LOHTH », adverb. unwillingly; reluctantly. Also, lothly. ╂[Old English lāthlīce < lāth hostile] … Useful english dictionary
loath — index averse, disinclined, disobedient, dissident, hesitant, renitent, restive Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton … Law dictionary
loath — *disinclined, indisposed, averse, hesitant, reluctant Analogous words: *adverse, averse: *antipathetic, unsympathetic, averse Antonyms: anxious Contrasted words: *eager, keen, avid: desiring or desirous, wishing, wanting (see corresponding verbs… … New Dictionary of Synonyms
