phobic

¹

[ foh-bik ]

adjective

1. of or relating to a phobia or phobias.

noun

1. a person with a phobia.

-phobic

²

1. a combining form used to form adjectives corresponding to nouns ending in -phobe:

   acrophobic; photophobic.

phobic

/ ˈfəʊbɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or arising from a phobia

noun

1. a person suffering from a phobia

Other Words From

• non·pho·bic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of phobic¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; phob(ia) + -ic, or by abstraction from adjectives ending in -phobic

Origin of phobic²

-phobe + -ic

Example Sentences

She will allow that over the years her initially phobic view of Germans has moderated.

From The Daily Beast

If Leonard was your boyfriend, you would call him commitment-phobic: he recorded and recorded but seemed never to release.

From The Daily Beast

We are phobic about flying, but not about driving - although driving is vastly more dangerous.

From The Daily Beast

On cue, they were eaten by the vitamin- and-fiber-phobic comedian.

From The Daily Beast

As any bride-to-be knows, men can be notoriously commitment phobic.

From The Daily Beast

Are you depressed (see 5, Table 1) or phobic (see 4.2, Table 1)?

From Project Gutenberg

These are people too hesitant, or phobic to commit themselves to the assumption of any kind of risk.

From Project Gutenberg

With tobacco-phobic pamphlets by the learnd prigs who fight you!

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use -phobic

What does -phobic mean?

The combining form -phobic is used like a suffix to create the adjective form of words ending in -phobe, a form that roughly means “someone with a fear.” In other words, -phobic means “of, relating to, or characteristic of something with a fear.” It is often used in scientific terms, especially in psychology and biology.

The form -phobic is made from a combination of two combining forms. The first is -phobe, from Greek phóbos, meaning “fear” or “panic.” The second form is the suffix -ic. The suffix -ic ultimately comes from Greek -ikos, an ending used to form adjectives.

What are variants of –phobic?

While -phobic doesn’t have any variants, it is related to two other combining forms: -phobia and -phobe. Want to know more? Check out our Words that Use articles for each form.

Examples of -phobic

An example of a word you may have encountered that features -phobic is agoraphobic, “of, relating to, or characteristic of an irrational or disproportionate fear of being in crowds, public places, or open areas.”

The agora- part of the word comes from Greek agorā́, meaning “assembly” or “marketplace,” while -phobic means “relating to something with a phobia.” Agoraphobic literally translates to “relating to a fear of the marketplace.”

What are some words that use the combining form –phobic?

• claustrophobic
• hydrophobic
• lyophobic
• photophobic
• transphobic
• xenophobic

What are some other forms that -phobic may be commonly confused with?

• -philic
• -phone
• -phony
• -phore

Break it down!

The combining form hydro- means “water.” With this in mind, what does the scientific term hydrophobic mean in everyday language?