What does loathsome mean?
Loathsome is a strong English adjective meaning hateful, detestable, or contemptible. It is often used to condemn a person, action, or institution as morally abhorrent, but it can also describe something physically disgusting, such as a foul smell or an unpleasant sight. The word is more emphatic and dramatic than merely negative terms like bad or unpleasant, so it is especially appropriate in literary, historical, or deliberately indignant contexts. Its related forms, loathe and loathing, express the underlying emotional response of hatred or disgust, while the adjective focuses on the quality of the person or thing being described. Because of its intensity, loathsome is often reserved for particularly objectionable matters rather than ordinary dislikes.
adjectiveHateful or detestable; deserving of intense disgust. It can also describe something that is extremely unpleasant or repulsive.
- Hateful, detestable, or contemptible.
- Extremely unpleasant or repulsive, especially in a sensory or physical sense.
"The novel describes the villain as a loathsome creature who shows no remorse for his cruelty."
"She spoke of the loathsome conditions in the prison."
"A loathsome smell spread through the abandoned building."
Loathsome combines the sense of intense hatred with the idea of physical disgust, making it one of the strongest English adjectives for describing something contemptible.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does loathsome come from?
Loathsome was formed in late Middle English from loath and the suffix -some, a word-forming element used to create adjectives meaning characterized by a particular quality. Loath itself comes from Old English and meant hateful, unpleasant, or detestable; it is also related to the Old English verb lāþian, meaning to hate or abhor. The word's development reflects the long-standing connection in English between hatred and disgust.
Related word forms
How loathsome is actually used
The adjective is strongly expressive and carries a formal, literary tone. It is often used in moral condemnation, although it can describe physical objects or conditions that provoke disgust.
Easily confused with loathsome
Loathe is a verb meaning to hate or detest something, whereas loathsome is an adjective describing something as hateful or disgusting.
Loath can mean hateful or detestable, but it can also mean reluctant or unwilling, as in being loath to admit error.