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
Derived 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.
"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
Water is attracted to the hydrophilic areas and droplets are accumulated and transported through the hydrophobic areas.
From Science Daily • Nov. 19, 2024
In their study published in Cell Reports Physical Science, the researchers also tried to understand the specific interactions that occur between hydrophobic components and proteins and their impact on protein aggregation.
From Science Daily • May 30, 2024
But in a counterintuitive twist, the very mechanism that enables hydrophobic surfaces to deflect water droplets also leads to the shearing effect outlined in Backholm's paper.
From Science Daily • Apr. 16, 2024
Prof. Dick was called to visit a man who had been bitten by a favorite dog while suffering from distemper, had manifested severe hydrophobic symptoms, and had been given up by the attending physicians.
From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various
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.
