heterophobia

noun

het·​ero·​pho·​bia ˌhe-tə-rə-ˈfō-bē-ə How to pronounce heterophobia (audio)
plural heterophobias
: irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against heterosexual people
As in so many areas of our society, divisions are drawn in black and white; there are no shades of gray. Homophobia is countered by heterophobia; the empty answer to gay-bashing is a vow to bash back. There are sadder developments in American life, I suppose, but for the moment, I can't think of one.Pete Hamill, Esquire, August 1990
heterophobe noun
plural heterophobes
Raised by equally disenfranchised drag queens in San Francisco … Cho became a self-confessed heterophobe. Leatrice Spevack, The Toronto Star, 2 Mar. 2001
heterophobic adjective
Take straight men, for example. Most of my life I avoided them … . At one point I was just as heterophobic as I thought they were homophobic, and I lived in isolation. Cameron Lopez, The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 Feb. 2006

Word History

Etymology

hetero- (in sense "heterosexual") + -phobia

First Known Use

1978, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of heterophobia was in 1978

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Dictionary Entries Near heterophobia

Cite this Entry

“Heterophobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heterophobia. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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