Loath
/loʊθ/noun
Unwilling or reluctant to do something.
Did you know?‘Loath’ and ‘loathe’ are historically linked in meaning, but only ‘loathe’ became the stronger verb for active hatred, while ‘loath’ stayed with reluctance and unwillingness.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
lāð
“hateful, hostile, loathsome”
Middle English
ME
loth
“unwilling, reluctant, disagreeable”
15th Century
ME
looth
“reluctant; disinclined”
Modern English
English
loath
“unwilling or reluctant”