To feel intense hatred or disgust toward someone or something.
From Old English 'lāth' meaning 'hateful' or 'hostile,' related to German 'Leid' (sorrow). The word has meant 'to hate intensely' since before 1000 CE, one of English's oldest words for extreme dislike.
The word 'loathe' is ancient Anglo-Saxon—it's been expressing intense disgust for over a thousand years, which tells you something profound: humans have always needed a super-strong word beyond just 'dislike' because disgust is one of our most primal emotions.
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