germaphobe
Americannoun
Usage
What does the term germaphobe mean? A germaphobe, also spelled germophobe, is a person who is afraid of germs or preoccupied with cleanliness. Specifically, it can refer to a person who has an obsessive compulsion toward cleanliness to the point that their life is impacted by an urge to constantly clean their hands and living spaces. Germaphobes may or may not have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of germaphobe
First recorded in 1890–1900; germ ( def. ) + -a- connecting vowel + -phobe ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They described James as a germaphobe and “nerdy,” a man who could pass for an engineer or computer programmer more easily than an industrial magnate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2025
"My mum's a germaphobe, so I wrote something the foyer in our house," she laughs, breaking into melody.
From BBC ● Jan. 27, 2023
Adrian considered himself a germaphobe and took every precaution short of getting the vaccine, Jauregui said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2021
In addition, she’s become somewhat of a germaphobe over the last several years, which I’m sure factors into the equation.
From Slate ● Feb. 22, 2021
I wasn’t a germaphobe, but even without the warning, I didn’t want to “touch” anything.
From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
