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Loath vs Despise - What's the difference?

loath | despise |

As an adjective loath

is unwilling, reluctant; averse, disinclined.

As a verb despise is

to regard with contempt or scorn.

loath

English

Alternative forms

* loth (mostly UK)

Adjective

(er)
  • unwilling, reluctant; averse, disinclined
    • I was loath to return to the office without the Henderson file.
  • * 1911 , (Jack London), The Whale Tooth
  • *:The frizzle-headed man-eaters were loath to leave their fleshpots so long as the harvest of human carcases was plentiful. Sometimes, when the harvest was too plentiful, they imposed on the missionaries by letting the word slip out that on such a day there would be a killing and a barbecue.
  • (obsolete) hostile, angry, loathsome, unpleasant

    • Usage notes

    * Often confused in meaning and pronunciation with loathe, a related transitive verb. * This spelling is about four times as common as "loth" in the UK and fifty times as common in the US.

    Synonyms

    * unwilling, reluctant, averse, disinclined

    Related terms

    * loathe

    Anagrams

    *

    despise

    English

    Verb

    (despis)
  • To regard with contempt or scorn.

    • Synonyms

    * scorn * See also *contempt

    Antonyms

    * honor * respect * revere

    Derived terms

    * despisal * despicable

    Related terms

    * despect * despection

    See also

    * vilipend

    External links

    * *