be loath
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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 — meaning ‘averse, reluctant’, as in loath to comment, is spelt loath, not loth, and is pronounced lohth (like both). It should be distinguished from the verb loathe meaning ‘to hate’, which is pronounced lohdh. The adjective loathsome, meaning… … Modern English usage
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´some|ness — loath|some «LOHTH suhm», adjective. very hateful; disgusting; making one feel sick: »a loathsome smell. Some of the details are loathsome. SYNONYM(S): abominable, detestable, repulsive, nauseating, odious. Also, lothsome. –loath´some|ly, adverb.… … Useful english dictionary
loath´some|ly — loath|some «LOHTH suhm», adjective. very hateful; disgusting; making one feel sick: »a loathsome smell. Some of the details are loathsome. SYNONYM(S): abominable, detestable, repulsive, nauseating, odious. Also, lothsome. –loath´some|ly, adverb.… … Useful english dictionary
loath|some — «LOHTH suhm», adjective. very hateful; disgusting; making one feel sick: »a loathsome smell. Some of the details are loathsome. SYNONYM(S): abominable, detestable, repulsive, nauseating, odious. Also, lothsome. –loath´some|ly, adverb.… … Useful english dictionary
loath, loathe — Loath is an adjective meaning reluctant, unwilling, averse, disinclined : I am always loath to admit my mistakes. Loathe is a verb meaning to detest, to abhor, to abominate, to feel disgust for : Most people loathe the rude jangling of an alarm… … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
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
