phobic

1 of 2

adjective

pho·​bic ˈfō-bik 

: of, relating to, affected with, or constituting phobia

phobic noun

-phobic

2 of 2

adjective combining form

1

a

: having an intolerance or aversion for

photophobic

Anglophobic

b

: exhibiting a phobia for

claustrophobic

2

: lacking chemical affinity for (see affinity entry 1 sense 2b(2))

These polymers are like soaps, with a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic portion in the molecule.

—Mercouri G. Kanatzidis

compare -philic

Examples of phobic in a Sentence

Adjective

She is phobic about heights.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Conway is mousy, phobic of plane travel, and loves her parents and her cat, a Scottish Fold named Alfie. —Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2024

Together, the two wrote and illustrated a book that helped the bug phobic deal with the Brood X cicada emergence 17 years ago, and that now, as the red-eyed creatures prepare to make another grand appearance, is landing in the hands of the newly anxious. —Washington Post, 28 Apr. 2021

At a time when many filmmakers are paranoically spoiler-phobic, director Daniel Goldhaber doesn’t mind if audiences know the outcome of his new movie going in. —Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2023

According To Your Zodiac Sign Nevertheless, because Gemini is so mutable (and, uh, commitment-phobic) this pair might have some trouble locking down the relationship. —Women's Health, 14 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Adjective combining form

French -phobique, from Late Latin -phobicus, from Greek -phobikos, from -phobia

First Known Use

Adjective

1897, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

phobic

1 of 2 adjective

pho·​bic ˈfō-bik 

: of, relating to, affected with, marked by, involving, or constituting a phobia

phobic disorders

a phobic person

phobic anxiety

phobic situations

phobic

2 of 2 noun

: one who exhibits a phobia