Meanings
adjectivewater-fearing (comparative more water-fearing, superlative most water-fearing)
comparative more water-fearing · superlative most water-fearing
- chemistryLacking affinity for water; hydrophobic.
Molecules with this dual nature are called amphiphiles ('liking both'): in soaps and detergents, they are comprised of a water-loving (hydrophilic) part and a water-fearing (hydrophobic) part.
2011, Philip Ball, Shapes: Nature's Patterns: a Tapestry in Three Parts, page 61
Synonyms & antonyms
Opposite
Also see
Origin
From water + fearing. Alternatively, equivalent to water-fear + -ing.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
water-fearing. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/water-fearing
MLA
“water-fearing.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/water-fearing. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “water-fearing,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/water-fearing.
Source: water-fearing on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.