bibliophobe

American  

[bib-lee-uh-fohb] / ˈbɪb li əˌfoʊb /

noun

1. a person who hates, fears, or distrusts books.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• bibliophobia
  noun

Etymology

Origin of bibliophobe

biblio- + -phobe

Explanation

A bibliophobe is someone with a fear or intense dislike of books. You wouldn't want to take a bibliophobe to the library to look for some interesting books to read. The term bibliophobe may refer to someone with an actual, irrational fear of books, but that is rare. It more often refers to someone who dislikes reading books, or doesn't trust the information in them. The phobia may be linked to learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, which make reading difficult. Historically, bibliophobia was linked to a fear of the ideas inside books, and how they might change society. The word bibliophobe comes from the Greek roots biblio, "book," and phobos, "fear."