Lothsom

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Arousing intense disgust or hatred, so repellent that one wants nothing to do with it
2. Hateful and repugnant in a way that provokes strong revulsion in those who encounter it
3. Deserving of abhorrence, being so offensive or vile that it causes strong aversion

Etymology: Lothsome is an Old English-derived adjective, formed from "lath" (meaning hateful, loathing, or repellent) and the suffix "-some," which in Old English meant "causing or tending to" something, as in "awesome" or "handsome." The base "lath" survives in the verb "loathe," which comes from the same Old English root "lathian," meaning to be hostile toward or to dislike. Over time the suffix "-some" came to be used less freely, and many such formations, including this one, fell out of everyday use. The word was once a close relative of "loathsome," the form that has largely replaced it. The spelling "lothsom" reflects older English spellings, in which the "a" in "loath" was often reduced or dropped, and "loathsome" became the standard form in the modern era. Dictionaries still record it, mostly in older or literary writing.