Loathe

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈləʊð/

Definitions

1. To experience profound dislike or intense repulsion for an individual, action, or concept, often coupled with a strong desire to avoid engagement
2. To possess a significant degree of aversion or animosity towards a particular person, behavior, or belief, leading to a strong disinclination to engage with it
3. To feel an overwhelming sense of disgust or hatred for someone or something, resulting in a deep-seated avoidance of interaction or association

Etymology: Loathe began as a word about grief and unwillingness rather than hatred. Its ancestor, Old English "lāþian", meant to be hostile or to show dislike, and it grew from a Proto-Germanic root that also gave German "Leid", meaning sorrow or suffering. The Old Norse cousin "leiðask" was reflexive, meaning to become weary or disgusted of something, which hints at the original sense: a feeling of being worn down by an object, rather than a fierce passion. The Middle English form "lothe" took on the sense of disliking or being unwilling to do something, and the modern spelling with its final "-e" arrived later, once English spelling had settled. The meaning intensified over the centuries until it reached today's strong sense of hating something intensely.

Synonyms: detest, hate, abhor, despise, dislike

Antonyms: love, admire, cherish, enjoy, appreciate