Hydrophobic

//haɪdɹəˈfəʊbɪk// adj

adj ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Of, or having, hydrophobia (rabies). not-comparable
  2. 2
    Lacking an affinity for water; unable to absorb or to be wetted by water.
Adjective
  1. 1
    abnormally afraid of water wordnet
  2. 2
    lacking affinity for water; tending to repel and not absorb water; tending not to dissolve in or mix with or be wetted by water wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
aquaphobicaquaphobicrabidwater-fearingwater-repellent

Example

More examples

"My hydrophobic uncle nearly drowned in the tub when he was eight."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From hydrophobia + -ic.

Etymology 2

From hydrophobe + -ic.

More for "hydrophobic"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.