loathsome

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English

Etymology

From Middle English lothsum, equivalent to loath +‎ -some.

Pronunciation

  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 290: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "UK" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈləʊð.səm/ or IPA(key): /ˈləʊθ.səm/

Adjective

loathsome (comparative more loathsome, superlative most loathsome)

  1. Highly offensive; abominable, sickening.
    • 1891, Oscar Wilde, chapter XX, in The Picture of Dorian Gray, London, New York, N.Y., Melbourne, Vic.: Ward Lock & Co., →OCLC, page 334:
      Lying on the floor was a dead man, in evening dress, with a knife in his heart. He was withered, wrinkled, and loathsome of visage. It was not till they had examined the rings that they recognized who it was.

Usage notes

  • Nouns to which "loathsome" is often applied: disease, creature, thing, person, man, woman, dungeon, place, world, smell, act.

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading