heterophobia

H4E1T1E1R1O1P3H4O1B3I1A1

noun

The fear or resentment of what is different.

Similar
heterophobism
Scrabble 22
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Meanings

nounheterophobia (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe fear or resentment of what is different.

    Taguieff writes synonimically^([sic]) of racism and heterophobia (resentment of the different). […] Heterophobia seems to be a focused manifestation of a still wider phenomenon of anxiety aroused by the feeling that one has no control over the situation, […]

    2013, Zygmunt Bauman, Modernity and the Holocaust, →ISBN, page 116
  2. uncountableThe fear or resentment of heterosexuals or heterosexuality.

    Accusing a gay person of heterophobia is like accusing a Jew of Naziphobia.

    2008 January 20, "Chief Thracian" (username), "Re: Under Attack", in alt.religion.shamanism and other newsgroups, Usenet
    2 more examples

    […] a panel of teenagers of LGBT parents […] voiced concern about what they called "heterophobia"—they wished their parents weren't so negative and distrusting of straight people. Even suggesting that heterophobia exists for these children understandably evokes angry and skeptical responses because homo-hostile people have used the same word to support a bogus claim that gay rights discrimination against heterosexuals.

    2004/2005, Abigail Garner, Families Like Mine: Children of Gay Parents Tell It Like It Is, pages 213–214

    Some gay and lesbian counselors may need to reflect on another bias referred to as heterophobia, which is fear or dislike of heterosexuals […]

    2011, Mark S. Kiselica, Matt Englar-Carlson, Arthur M. Horne, Counseling Troubled Boys: A Guidebook for Professionals, page 253

    Synonyms: heterophobism

  3. uncountableThe fear or resentment of the opposite sex.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe fear or resentment of heterosexuals or heterosexuality.

Similar
heterophobism
Also see
heterophobism

Origin

From hetero- + -phobia.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic رهاب الاختلاف
  • رهاب الاختلافfear or resentment of heterosexuals or heterosexuality
Catalan heterofòbia
  • heterofòbiafear or resentment of heterosexuals or heterosexuality
Czech heterofobie
  • heterofobiefear or resentment of heterosexuals or heterosexuality
French hétérophobie
  • hétérophobiefear or resentment of heterosexuals or heterosexuality
German Heterophobie
  • Heterophobiefear or resentment of heterosexuals or heterosexuality
Greek ετεροφοβία
  • ετεροφοβία (eterofovía)fear or resentment of heterosexuals or heterosexuality
Hungarian heterofóbia
  • heterofóbiafear or resentment of heterosexuals or heterosexuality
Italian eterofobia
  • eterofobiafear or resentment of heterosexuals or heterosexuality
Polish heterofobia
  • heterofobiafear or resentment of heterosexuals or heterosexuality
Portuguese heterofobia
  • heterofobiafear or resentment of heterosexuals or heterosexuality
Spanish heterofobia
  • heterofobiafear or resentment of heterosexuals or heterosexuality
Swedish heterofobi
  • heterofobifear or resentment of heterosexuals or heterosexuality
Cite this entry
APA

heterophobia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heterophobia

MLA

“heterophobia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heterophobia. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “heterophobia,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heterophobia.

Source: heterophobia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.