phobic

¹ American  

[foh-bik] / ˈfoʊ bɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to a phobia or phobias.

---

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.

---

phobic British  

/ ˈfəʊbɪk /

adjective

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

---

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

Explanation

If you're so scared of germs that you aren't able to shake people's hands or touch doorknobs, you can call yourself phobic. People who are phobic have strong, irrational fears. A fear that isn't based in reality is a phobia, and someone who has this kind of fear is phobic. It's not uncommon to be phobic of heights, airplanes, snakes, or the dark. Being phobic goes beyond a dislike or mild anxiety, though — if you're truly phobic of something, you're sometimes unable to face it without trembling or feeling your heart race. The Greek root, phobos, means "fear."

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

‘A needle makes my blood run cold’: Will the phobic get the coronavirus vaccine?

From Washington Post • Apr. 23, 2021

Bernstein became phobic about the show and refused to work on it once it closed.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2021

The word phobic has its place when properly used, but lately it's been declawed by the pompous insistence that most animosity is based upon fear rather than loathing.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris