loath definition | Dictionary.com

loath

[lohth, lohth]

Use loath in a Sentence

–adjective

unwilling; reluctant; disinclined; averse: to be loath to admit a mistake.

Also, loth.

Origin:
bef. 900; ME loth, lath, OE lāth hostile, hateful; c. D leed, G leid sorry, ON leithr hateful

Related forms:

loathness, noun

Synonyms:
See reluctant.

Antonyms:
eager.

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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loath also loth (lōth, lōth)

adj. Unwilling or reluctant; disinclined: I am loath to go on such short notice.

[Middle English loth, displeasing, loath, from Old English lāth, hateful, loathsome.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Loath

Loath\ (l[=o]th), a. [OE. looth, loth, AS. l[=a]? 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. 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.

loath

O.E. lað "hostile, repulsive," from P.Gmc. *laithaz (cf. O.Fris. leed, O.N. leiðr "hateful, hostile, loathed," M.Du. lelijc, Du. leelijk "ugly," O.H.G. leid "sorrowful, hateful, offensive, grievous," Ger. Leid "sorrow," Fr. laid "ugly," from Frank. *laid). Weakened meaning "averse, disinclined" is attested from c.1374. Loath to depart, a line from some long-forgotten song, is recorded since 1584 as a generic term expressive of any tune played at farewells, the sailing of a ship, etc.

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