phobic
phobic — adjective
- phobicpositive
- more phobiccomparative
- most phobicsuperlative
1. Having an extremely strong and often unreasonable feeling of fear, dislike, or h
Having an extremely strong and often unreasonable feeling of fear, dislike, or hatred directed at a particular thing, person, or type of situation.
Vinícius was so phobic about spiders that he left the room whenever one appeared.
phobic about + object of fear
Hui's phobic fear of heights kept her from visiting friends on the top floor.
phobic used as attributive adjective before noun
After the car accident, Gabriel became almost phobic about driving on busy roads.
The old cat seemed completely phobic around strangers and hid whenever guests arrived.
Dylan's phobic reaction to needles made getting a simple blood test very difficult.
- fearless
showing no fear at all
- comfortable with
feeling at ease rather than afraid
文法句型
be + phobic + about + noun/gerund
be + phobic + of + noun
用法筆記
Often used with 'about' to introduce the thing feared. When placed directly before a noun (e.g., 'phobic reaction'), it describes the response rather than the person.
常見錯誤
phobic — noun
- phobicsingular
- phobicsplural
1. A person who experiences an extreme or unreasonable fear or strong dislike of a
A person who experiences an extreme or unreasonable fear or strong dislike of a particular thing, often to a degree that affects their daily life.
Iris, a lifelong phobic of crowds, chose remote work over a busy office.
phobic + of + (thing feared)
The support group helps phobics of all kinds, from people afraid of flying to those scared of insects.
plural: phobics
Tanvi's doctor told her that being a phobic does not mean her personality has any flaw.
The therapist explained that many phobics improve with the right treatment over a few months.
文法句型
a + phobic
phobics
用法筆記
Less common in everyday speech than 'person with a phobia.' More frequent in clinical or psychology contexts. Can be followed by 'of' to specify the thing feared.
常見錯誤
phobic — suffix
1. Added to a word — usually at the end as a suffix, but also occasionally at the s
Added to a word — usually at the end as a suffix, but also occasionally at the start of a Greek- or Latin-derived root as a combining form — to create an adjective meaning 'extremely afraid of or strongly disliking that thing.'
Tunde described himself as claustrophobic and chose the seat next to the exit on trains.
claustrophobic: fear of enclosed spaces
Many arachnophobic people check their shoes carefully before putting them on in the morning.
arachnophobic: fear of spiders
The company made the instructions very simple to help technophobic customers use the new device.
Kian became increasingly agoraphobic after the accident and rarely left the house.
Acrophobic patients often feel dizzy just looking down from a fifth-floor window.
The xenophobic policies of the early twentieth century made cross-border travel very difficult.
Some people become hydrophobic after a near-drowning experience as children.
The photophobic plant stayed healthy only when Asher put it in a dark corner of the room.
- -phobe
forms nouns for a person (e.g., arachnophobe), not adjectives
- -philic
forming words that mean 'attracted to' or 'loving' (e.g., hydrophilic means attracted to water)
文法句型
[noun] + -phobic → adjective
[phobo-] + [Greek/Latin root] → adjective (combining-form pattern)
用法筆記
This affix appears in two patterns: as a suffix attached to a noun (e.g., technology → technophobic) or as a combining form attached to a Greek- or Latin-derived bound root (e.g., acr- 'heights' → acrophobic). In everyday English the suffix pattern (technophobic, arachnophobic) is more common. The corresponding noun form ends in '-phobia' (claustrophobia, arachnophobia).