loathsome

adjective

loath·​some ˈlōth-səm How to pronounce loathsome (audio) ˈlōt͟h- How to pronounce loathsome (audio)
Synonyms of loathsome
: giving rise to loathing : disgusting
a loathsome disease
Smoking is a loathsome habit.
loathsomely adverb
loathsomeness noun

Examples of loathsome in a Sentence

we traced the foul smell to a pile of loathsome garbage by the back wall
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Assayas’s aesthetic is too genteel to even imagine the specifics of loathsome doctrines. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 13 May 2026 Helping the audience understand loathsome people without understanding them is a more subtle, if equally essential, inheritance. Alison Herman, Variety, 12 Apr. 2026 Most of Becket’s relatives are loathsome (Grace is funny as a fraudulent self-help quasi-religious guru), though his uncle (the great Bill Camp) is a decent fellow who wants to lend Becket a hand. Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 18 Feb. 2026 In the show’s first episode, Jaquel Spivey, who starred in the Broadway production of A Strange Loop, a musical about the experience of being a self-hating fat gay Black man, is introduced as a loathsome incel. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for loathsome

Word History

Etymology

Middle English lothsum, from loth evil, from Old English lāth, from lāth, adjective

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of loathsome was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Loathsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loathsome. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

loathsome

adjective
loath·​some ˈlōth-səm How to pronounce loathsome (audio) ˈlōt͟h- How to pronounce loathsome (audio)
: very unpleasant : offensive
loathsomely adverb
loathsomeness noun

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