Translation guide
Expressing intense dislike, disgust, or hatred in Japanese. The best choice depends on the intensity, formality, and whether the feeling is directed at a person, thing, or situation.
Expressing a strong, visceral feeling of hatred or revulsion, often toward a person, action, or concept.
He harbors loathing toward her.
The incident aroused the loathing of the people.
A very common and natural way to say 'hate' or 'loathe' in everyday speech. Stronger than 嫌い. Used for people, things, or activities.
I loathe liars.
Means 'disgust' or 'loathing', often with a nuance of moral repulsion. More formal than 大嫌い. Can be used as 嫌悪感 (a feeling of loathing).
I felt loathing at his actions.
She has a loathing for violence.
Literally 'hair-dislike', meaning an instinctive or irrational loathing. Often used for strong, sometimes unreasonable, aversion.
He has an irrational loathing for cats.
A literary or formal term for loathing or abhorrence. Rare in everyday conversation.
He loathes injustice.
Expressing hatred or disgust directed at oneself.
Using slang or very informal expressions to convey intense dislike.
Slang for feeling disgusted or irritated. Often used when something or someone makes you feel sick or angry. Can imply loathing in context.
His attitude makes me sick (I loathe it).
An idiom meaning 'to be disgusted' or 'to feel loathing', literally 'insect saliva runs'. Used for strong revulsion.
憎悪 (zōo) is intense hatred, often long-lasting and deep. 嫌悪 (ken'o) is disgust or loathing, often with a moral dimension. 大嫌い (daikirai) is the most common and versatile for everyday 'hate' or 'loathe', but can sound childish in formal writing.
He spoke of his loathing for war.
She looked at the injustice with loathing.
I loathe bugs.
English 'loathing' can be a strong word. In Japanese, using 憎悪 in casual conversation may sound overly dramatic. For everyday dislike, 大嫌い or 嫌い is often sufficient. Reserve 憎悪 and 嫌悪 for serious or formal contexts.
He loathes natto.
Every time I fail, I suffer from self-loathing.
Sometimes I loathe myself.
Just seeing his face makes me loathe him.