xenophobia
xenophobia — noun
1. an attitude of intense hostility or dread towards anyone perceived as an outside
an attitude of intense hostility or dread towards anyone perceived as an outsider, because of their nationality, culture, or unfamiliar customs
Rising xenophobia made it harder for refugee families to find housing in the city.
rise in xenophobia — collocation with verbs of increase
Amihan wrote an essay about how xenophobia hurts immigrants and their new communities.
xenophobia hurts [group] — noun as subject affecting a target group
Local leaders held a meeting to reduce xenophobia after attacks on foreign-owned shops.
Brandon's grandparents faced xenophobia when they arrived from Vietnam, but neighbours later became close friends.
Ayesha was sad to see xenophobia at her new school, where students mocked international classmates.
- racism
Overlapping but distinct: racism targets people based on race or skin colour, while xenophobia targets people based on foreignness or nationality.
- prejudice
Broader term for any preconceived negative opinion; xenophobia is a specific type of prejudice directed at foreigners.
- ethnocentrism
The belief that one's own culture is superior; this can feed xenophobia but is more about cultural judgement than active hostility.
- cosmopolitanism
The idea that all people belong to a single global community, directly opposed to xenophobic attitudes.
- tolerance
Willingness to accept different cultures and people, the opposite of xenophobic hostility.
用法筆記
Uncountable noun. Often appears in news reports and discussions about politics, immigration, and social conflict. Can be followed by 'towards' or 'against' to specify the target.