phobic

¹ American  

[foh-bik] / ˈfoʊ bɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to a phobia or phobias.

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noun

1. a person with a phobia.

-phobic ² American  

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

   acrophobic; photophobic.

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phobic British  

/ ˈfəʊbɪk /

adjective

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

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noun

1. a person suffering from a phobia

Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

• nonphobic adjective

Etymology

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

"Hopefully overcoming that phobic response will allow somebody to feel much more empowered when they walk into a medical situation," he says.

From BBC • Dec. 15, 2025

With hundreds of years of baseless myth to supply us, it’s no wonder as many as six percent of people are phobic of arachnids.

From National Geographic • Jan. 12, 2024

“They are now marketing Botox to people in their 20s, and if you get people to be phobic about aging when they’re young, you have an ever-replenishing market for your products.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2023

This is an easy thing to overlook but I think it’s important: Many Americans have a truly phobic relationship to the kind of fear that cannot be dealt with through combat.

From Slate • Feb. 17, 2022

He became so germo- phobic that he wouldn’t tolerate anyone coming near his food.

From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand