What does loathe mean?
Word: Loathe
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Loathe means to dislike something very strongly.
Synonyms: hate
How do you spell loathe?
Syllables: loathe
Tricky part: The final e is the trap. It belongs to the verb; without it you get a different word, an adjective meaning unwilling.
Watch out for: lothe, lowthe
Memory tip: Verbs such as breathe and bathe keep a final e, and this one does too.
Loathe in a sentence
Example 1: I loathe getting up early on cold mornings.
Example 2: Many students loathe long, repetitive copying work.
Example 3: My sister loathes the smell of boiled cabbage.
Fun Fact
The word goes back more than a thousand years to Old English lathian, 'to hate'.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
loatthe
a) h
b) t
c) a
d) o
Show answer
b) t. One t is enough before the h.
Mingle-Mangle
Rearrange the jumbled letters in the sentence to form the right word:
Most cats aohelt water and will run from a bath.
a) lather
b) loathe
c) tackle
d) soothe
Show answer
b) loathe. The vowels here are a, o and e, one of each, which only one option matches.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word loathe as used in the sentence:
My brother would loathe spending a whole Sunday inside a shopping mall.
a) resent
b) adore
c) detest
d) avoid
Show answer
b) adore. Someone who loves a thing feels the opposite of this.
Spell-o-Spell
Read the four words. Choose the meaning of the only correctly spelt word:
1. despize 2. apreciate 3. cherrish 4. loathe
a) to find something thoroughly unpleasant
b) to hold dear
c) to look down on
d) to recognise the value of something
Show answer
a) to find something thoroughly unpleasant. Appreciate has a double p, despise an s before the e, and cherish one r.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Someone who loathes mushrooms is most likely to ____
a) grow them at home each winter
b) pick them out of every dish
c) order them on every pizza
d) write a book of recipes for them
Show answer
b) pick them out of every dish
2. Which word rhymes with loathe?
a) clothe
b) cloth
c) broth
d) both
Show answer
a) clothe
