loathe, v.
(ləʊð)
Forms: α. 1 láðian, 2–3 laðen, lathen, 3 laðien, 4–6 Sc. and north. lath(e, 5 laith(e. β. 3–4 loðien, 3–5 loþe(n, 3–7 lothe, (5 lothee), 6–7 loth, 5–6 loothe, 6–8 loath, 6– loathe.
[OE. láðian = OS. lêthon, ON. leiða:—OTeut. type *laiþôjan, f. *laiþo- loath a. (OE. had lǽðan to hate, cause to shun, revile = OHG. leidan:—OTeut. type *laiþjan, f. *laiþo-.)]
† 1. intr. To be hateful, displeasing, or offensive. Const. dat. or to. Obs.
| c 893 K. ælfred Oros. iii. xi. §5 Þa Cassander þæt ᵹeascade þæt hio ðæm folce laðade, þa ᵹegaderade he fird. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 101 Þe oferlifa on hete and on wete macað þene mon un-halne, and his saule gode laðeð. c 1230 Hali Meid. 9 Þat te schal laði þi lif. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 750 Þo þis kyng leir eldore was, he bigan to loþe, Vor he so longe liuede, is leue doȝtren boþe. 1390 Gower Conf. III. 217 The barli cake is Gedeon, Which.. Schal come and sette such ascry..That it schal to us alle lothe. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. i. 173 Þat ous loþeth þe lyf er he lete ows passe. c 1400 Destr. Troy 12122 For hit [deth] laithit hir les þen on lyue be. a 1547 Surrey æneid iv. 24 If geniall brands and bed me lothed not. 1573 Sir C. Hatton Let. to Q. Eliz. (Pearson's 81st Catal., 1900, p. 36), So great Discorde in the sweetness of your most rare & excellent Musike as would lothe you. a 1597 Peele David & Bethsabe (1599) E iv b, Let not the voice of Ithay loth thine eares. |
† b. impers.; also quasi-impers. with subj. inf. simply or with it. (it) loathes me (of) = I am disgusted (with). Obs.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 324 Smit hine so luðerliche þet him loðie to snecchen eft to þe. 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 686 To þenke on hem, forsoþe me loþys. 1413 Pilgr. Sowle iii. ix. (Caxton 1483) 56 Now mowe this folke swolewe ynowe of the fyre of helle and lycken til them lothe. c 1430 Hymns Virg. 85 Thus is þe day come to nyȝt þat me loþith of my lyuynge. 1530 Palsgr. 614/2, I lothe his villanye, or it lotheth me of his villanye. 1581 J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 131 b, It would have loathed me to have rehearsed the same in this place. 1596 Danett tr. Comines (1614) 95 It lotheth mee to make mention of this cruelty. |
† 2. To be or become disgusted, to feel disgust. Const. at, for, of, with (something). Obs.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy. 8123 If men laith with þi lyf, lyffyng in erthe. 1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. 136 Al the roialme thanne rumourt and lothit for that rousty Synne. c 1430 Syr. Gener. (Roxb.) 7718 Of hir life she gan to loothe. a 1600 Montgomerie Misc. Poems xiii. 4 My maistres hes a man of me, That lothis of euery thing bot love. 1609 Bible (Douay) Num. xxi. 6 Our soule now lotheth at this most light meate. |
† 3. trans. To excite loathing or disgust in (a person, etc.). Const. of. Also, to render (a person) loath or reluctant to (do something) or averse from (something). Obs.
| 1568 Abp. Parker Pref. to Bishops' Bible *1 To lothe christen men from reading, by their couert slaunderous reproches of the scriptures. 1577 J. Northbrooke Dicing (1843) 101 Such matters..as will lothe any honest man or good woman to come neare such playes. 1599 H. Buttes Dyets drie Dinner D ij, Medlers..if you deale much with them, they wil extremely irck, and loath you. c 1610 Women Saints 75 Such a filthie state, as might lothe the stomacke of the beholder. 1645 Brinsley Church-Remedie 34 As if one should endeavour to loath a sick man of his potion, before it come at him. 1661 H. D. Disc. Liturgies 6 They are..good for nothing but to loath pious souls. |
4. To feel aversion or dislike for; to be reluctant or unwilling to (do something). Now only with stronger sense: To have an intense aversion for; to regard with utter abhorrence and disgust.
The stronger sense in mod. use may be partly due to association with the idea of nauseation often implied in the specific use 4 b.
| a 1200 Moral Ode 128 Wel late he latheð uuel werc, þe ne mei hit don ne mare. 1300 Poem 7 deadly Sins in Brampton Penit. Ps. (Percy Soc.) 62 Good werk he lothith to bigynne. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. vii. 142 Alle ladies me loþen þat louen eny worschep. a 1400–50 Alexander 5115 Forþi like it to ȝour lordschip & lathis noȝt my sawis. c 1418 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 246 Thes Lollardes that lothen ymages most. 1508 Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen 328 Than I him lichtlyit as a lowne, et lathit his maneris. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 114 All though it be that thynge that y{supu} lothest moost. a 1586 Sidney Arcadia iii. (1629) 259, I should loath the keeping of my bloud with the losse of my faith. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 158 The Swarms..loath their empty Hives, and idly stray. 1784 Cowper Task ii. 416 In my soul I loath All affectation. 1833 H. Martineau Charmed Sea iii. 35 Mother, I loathe him. a 1862 Buckle Civiliz. (1869) III. iii. 148 Whose malignant cruelty made him loathed by his contemporaries. 1888 Bryce Amer. Commw. III. lxxxi. 73 To dictate their terms to statesmen who loathe the necessity of submission. |
| absol. 1842 Tennyson Two Voices 104 To breathe and loathe, to live and sigh. 1884 Browning Family 72 Man who..craves and deprecates, and loves and loathes. |
b. To feel an aversion or disgust for (food, etc.).
| c 1400 Rom. Rose 5610 If in syknesse that he falle, And lothe mete & drink withalle. 1602 Marston Antonio's Rev. iii. ii. Wks. 1856 I. 109 Ile force him feede on life Till he shall loath it. 1611 Bible Prov. xxvii. 7 The full soule loatheth an honie combe. a 1677 Barrow Wks. (1686) III. Serm. xxxvii. 411 A stomach, surcharg'd with foul, or poisonous matter, which it loaths. 1764 Goldsm. Trav. 182 He sees..No costly lord the sumptuous banquet deal, To make him lothe his vegetable meal. 1866 J. Thomson Philosophy iv. v, Your stomach soon must loathe all drink and meat. |