hydrophilic

H4Y4D2R1O1P3H4I1L1I1C3

adjective

Having an affinity for water; able to absorb, or be wetted by water; water-loving.

Similar
hygroscopicdeliquescent
Opposite
hydrophobic
OriginEnglish hydro- ← Ancient Greek ῠ̔δρο- (hŭdro-) ← Proto-Hellenic *údōr →
Less commonScrabble 25
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Meanings

adjectivehydrophilic (comparative more hydrophilic, superlative most hydrophilic)

comparative more hydrophilic · superlative most hydrophilic

  1. chemistryHaving an affinity for water; able to absorb, or be wetted by water; water-loving.

    Synonyms: hygroscopic · Antonyms: hydrophobic

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveHaving an affinity for water; able to absorb, or be wetted by water; water-loving.

Similar
hygroscopic
Opposite
hydrophobic

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivehaving a strong affinity for water; tending to dissolve in, mix with, or be wetted by water

Similar
deliquescent
Opposite
hydrophobic
Also see
deliquescenthygroscopicwater-loving

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*wed-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*wódr̥
  3. Proto-Hellenic*údōr
  4. Ancient Greekῡ̆̔́δωρ (hū̆́dōr)
  5. Ancient Greekῠ̔δρο- (hŭdro-)
  6. Englishhydro-
  7. Englishhydrophilic

From hydro- + -philic.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian хидрофи́лен
  • хидрофи́лен (hidrofílen)having an affinity for water
Catalan higròfil
  • higròfilhaving an affinity for water
Chinese Mandarin 親水性 /亲水性
  • 親水性 /亲水性 (qīnshuǐxìng)having an affinity for water
Danish hydrofil, vandelskende
  • hydrofilhaving an affinity for water
  • vandelskendehaving an affinity for water
Finnish hydrofiilinen
  • hydrofiilinenhaving an affinity for water
French hydrophile
  • hydrophilehaving an affinity for water
German hydrophil
  • hydrophilhaving an affinity for water
Greek υδρόφιλος
  • υδρόφιλος (ydrófilos)having an affinity for water
Hungarian hidrofil
  • hidrofilhaving an affinity for water
Icelandic vatnssækinn, vatnsfíkinn
  • vatnssækinnhaving an affinity for water
  • vatnsfíkinnhaving an affinity for water
Italian idrofilo
  • idrofilohaving an affinity for water
Korean 친수성
  • 친수성 (chinsuseong)having an affinity for water
Polish hydrofilowy
  • hydrofilowyhaving an affinity for water
Portuguese hidrofílico
  • hidrofílicohaving an affinity for water
Russian гидрофи́льный
  • гидрофи́льный (gidrofílʹnyj)having an affinity for water
Spanish hidrofílico
  • hidrofílicohaving an affinity for water
Tagalog tubighigumin
  • tubighiguminhaving an affinity for water
Ukrainian гідрофільний
  • гідрофільний (hidrofilʹnyj)having an affinity for water
Cite this entry
APA

hydrophilic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydrophilic

MLA

“hydrophilic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydrophilic. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hydrophilic,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydrophilic.

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