hydrophobic
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to hydrophobia
-
chem tending not to dissolve in, mix with, or be wetted by water Compare hydrophilic
a hydrophobic colloid
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hydrophobic
First recorded in 1640–50; hydrophobe + -ic
Vocabulary lists containing hydrophobic
Cell Biology - High School
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Biochemistry
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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.
Such fabrics are hydrophobic, or water hating, similar to grease and oils.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
"By contrast, small-molecule drugs that are designed to cross the blood-brain barrier are hydrophobic in nature, which limits their bioavailability, increases the risk of off-target binding, and is linked to side effects."
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2025
Desert beetles and lizards, for example, have evolved to develop surface structures that have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic areas and effectively capture moisture from the air.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 19, 2024
This can be covalent bonds, hydrogen bridge bonds, van der Waals forces, and hydrophobic interactions.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 4, 2024
This makes me feel positively hydrophobic toward Caspian; but all the same I'll remember what you say, and not be "precipitate"—one of your favourite words: follows you about like a dog!
From The Lightning Conductor Discovers America by C. N. (Charles Norris) Williamson
Definitions 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.
