-phobe

English

Etymology

From French -phobe, from Latin -phobus, from Attic Greek -φόβος (-phóbos), combining form of φόβος (phóbos), ablaut variant of φέβεσθαι (phébesthai), middle infinitive of φέβομαι (phébomai), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰegʷ. Cognates include Russian бегать (begatʹ, “run, flee”), Slovak bežať (“run”), Polish biec (“run”), Lithuanian bėgti (“run”), Albanian dëboj (“throw out, drive away, expel, banish”). Compare German -phob.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /-foʊb/ (stress is always before the last syllable)

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Suffix

-phobe

1. Used to form nouns denoting a person having a fear of a specific thing.

   claustrophobe

   • 2013 June 22, “Snakes and ladders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 76:

     Risk is everywhere. […] For each one there is a frighteningly precise measurement of just how likely it is to jump from the shadows and get you. “The Norm Chronicles” […] aims to help data-phobes find their way through this blizzard of risks.

2. Used to form nouns denoting a person who hates or dislikes a type of person, thing, etc.

   homophobe

Synonyms

• -phobiac, -phobic

Antonyms

• -philiac, -phile

Derived terms

• phobe (see also 'phobe)

English terms suffixed with -phobe

Related terms

• -phobia
• -phobic

Translations

used to form nouns denoting a person having a fear of a specific thing

Catalan: -fob (ca) m Danish: -fob (da) c Georgian: -ფობი (-pobi) German: -fob c Hungarian: -fób, -iszonyban szenvedő Italian: -fobo Macedonian: -фоб (-fob) Polish: -fob (pl) Spanish: -fobo (es) m Swedish: -fob c

used to form nouns denoting a person who hates or despises a specific thing

Catalan: -fob (ca) m Danish: -fob (da) c Georgian: -ფობი (-pobi) German: -fob c Hungarian: -fób, -ellenes (hu), -gyűlölő (hu) Italian: -fobo Macedonian: -фоб (-fob) Slovak: -fób, -fóbka Spanish: -fobo (es) m Swedish: -fob c

See also

• Wikipedia article on phobias
• List of phobias in Wikipedia
• List of phobias (external link)