germaphobic
germaphobic — adjective
- germaphobicpositive
- more germaphobiccomparative
- most germaphobicsuperlative
1. describes someone who has a very strong and often unreasonable dread that germs
describes someone who has a very strong and often unreasonable dread that germs or dirt on surfaces, objects, or other people could make them ill
Yara is so germaphobic she wipes every trolley handle with an antiseptic cloth.
so + adjective + that + clause
João's germaphobic habits mean he always carries a small bottle of hand sanitiser.
attributive use before noun
The pandemic made Mayumi more germaphobic — she now avoids touching stair rails and door handles.
Cyrus felt germaphobic about using the public pool after a friend mentioned the bacteria levels.
Shanti's germaphobic behaviour includes opening doors with her sleeve rather than touching the handle directly.
- squeamish
suggests being easily disgusted by unpleasant things in general, not only germs
- obsessive about cleanliness
implies a compulsive need for order and hygiene beyond the average
- fastidious
focuses on being very careful about details and cleanliness; less emotional than germaphobic
- carefree about hygiene
not worried about germs or cleanliness at all
- messy
untidy or dirty; the opposite of being concerned with cleanliness
文法句型
germaphobic about + noun/gerund
so + germaphobic + that + clause
用法筆記
Often used informally or self-deprecatingly to describe a strong attention to cleanliness, not necessarily a diagnosed phobia.
常見錯誤
germaphobic — noun
- germaphobicsingular
- germaphobicsplural
1. a person who feels a very strong and often unreasonable dread that germs or dirt
a person who feels a very strong and often unreasonable dread that germs or dirt on surfaces, objects, or other people could make them ill
As a germaphobic, Rachid never shares food and always washes his hands before every meal.
a + germaphobic at start of noun phrase
Maja describes herself as a germaphobic and carries her own cutlery when travelling.
describes oneself as a + germaphobic
Being a germaphobic made it hard for Eitan to eat at crowded food markets in Bangkok.
Gita, a self-confessed germaphobic, wipes her desk with disinfectant wipes three times every day.
- neat freak
informal, focuses on orderliness and tidiness rather than specifically fearing germs
- clean freak
informal, emphasises a compulsion to clean rather than fear of contamination
- hypochondriac
different sense — someone who fears having a serious illness, not specifically germs
文法句型
a + germaphobic
self-confessed + germaphobic
用法筆記
Identical in form to the adjective; the noun is less common and often appears with modifiers like 'self-confessed' or in the construction 'a bit of a germaphobic'.