xenophobe

noun

xe·​no·​phobe ˈze-nə-ˌfōb  ˈzē- 

: one unduly fearful of what is foreign and especially of people of foreign origin

xenophobic

ˌze-nə-ˈfō-bik  ˌzē- 

adjective

xenophobically

ˌze-nə-ˈfō-bi-k(ə-)lē 

ˌzē-

adverb

Did you know?

Xenophobe Has Greek Roots

Xenophobe is partly based on the Greek noun xenos, meaning "stranger, guest, foreigner". Unlike other phobias, xenophobia isn't really considered an abnormal condition; instead, it's generally thought of as just serious narrow-mindedness, the kind of thinking that goes along with racism and extreme patriotism. In times of war, a government will often actually try to turn all its citizens into xenophobes.

Examples of xenophobe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Many told me the liberal media had smeared them as racists, xenophobes and misogynists. —Nataliya Gumenyuk, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026

Hasan sat there for nearly three hours, being berated by white nationalists and xenophobes as the cameras rolled. —Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 26 Feb. 2026

America should never allow its xenophobes to persecute immigrants or violate their rights. —Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026

And who beyond a xenophobe could possibly believe that one’s education is not enhanced by a classmate from elsewhere in the world, a truth that applies to kindergarten just as much as at Harvard? —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

xeno- + -phobe

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for xenophobe

• microprobe
• bathrobe
• earlobe
• microbe
• niobe
• wardrobe
• globe
• jobe
• lobe
• probe
• robe
• strobe

Medical Definition

xenophobe

noun

xe·​no·​phobe ˈzen-ə-ˌfōb  ˈzēn- 

: a person unduly fearful of what is foreign and especially of people of foreign origin

xenophobic

ˌzen-ə-ˈfō-bik  ˌzēn- 

adjective