: unwilling to do something contrary to one's ways of thinking : reluctant
She was loath to admit her mistakes.
loathness noun
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Many usage commentators point out that the spelling of loath, the adjective, is distinct from loathe, the verb that means "to dislike greatly." Merriam-Webster dictionaries do record loathe (along with loth) as a variant spelling for the adjective, but at the same time indicate that the loath spelling is the most common one. The adjective and the verb both hark back to Old English, and the "e" ending in each has come and gone over the centuries—but if you want to avoid the ire of those who like to keep the language tidy, stick with loath for the adjective and loathe for the verb.
Examples of loath in a Sentence
She was loath to admit her mistakes. I was loath to accept his claim of having climbed Mount Everest.
Recent Examples on the Web
But clients are often loath to take the steps necessary to establish intent not to return, Doyle said. —
Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026 The attorneys, by contrast, were well educated and mostly white, and would almost certainly have been loath to climb into a car with Garrison and go looking for a truck to hit. —Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026 Top earner Antoine Griezmann’s summer move to MLS club Orlando City will open up some space on their wage bill, and Simeone would be loath to see both his best attacking players leave in the same window. —Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026 Many administrators were initially loath to stop the demonstrations, no matter how disruptive. —Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for loath
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026 The attorneys, by contrast, were well educated and mostly white, and would almost certainly have been loath to climb into a car with Garrison and go looking for a truck to hit. —Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026 Top earner Antoine Griezmann’s summer move to MLS club Orlando City will open up some space on their wage bill, and Simeone would be loath to see both his best attacking players leave in the same window. —Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026 Many administrators were initially loath to stop the demonstrations, no matter how disruptive. —Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for loath
Cite this Entry
“Loath.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/loath. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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