Extremely disgusting or worthy of hatred; something that fills you with disgust and strong dislike.
From Old English 'lath' (hostile, repulsive) plus the suffix '-some' (characterized by). The original Germanic root meant 'reluctant or unwilling,' evolved to mean 'hateful,' then 'causing hate.'
Loathsome is the heavy-duty disgust word—it's not just 'yuck,' it's a moral reaction that combines physical revulsion with emotional rejection. Shakespeare loved this word for describing villains and moral corruption.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.