heterophobia

noun

het·​ero·​pho·​bia ˌhe-tə-rə-ˈfō-bē-ə How to pronounce heterophobia (audio)
plural heterophobias
: irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against heterosexual people
As in so many areas of our society, divisions are drawn in black and white; there are no shades of gray. Homophobia is countered by heterophobia; the empty answer to gay-bashing is a vow to bash back. There are sadder developments in American life, I suppose, but for the moment, I can't think of one.Pete Hamill, Esquire, August 1990
heterophobe noun
plural heterophobes
Raised by equally disenfranchised drag queens in San Francisco … Cho became a self-confessed heterophobe. Leatrice Spevack, The Toronto Star, 2 Mar. 2001
heterophobic adjective
Take straight men, for example. Most of my life I avoided them … . At one point I was just as heterophobic as I thought they were homophobic, and I lived in isolation. Cameron Lopez, The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 Feb. 2006

Word History

Etymology

hetero- (in sense "heterosexual") + -phobia

First Known Use

1978, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of heterophobia was in 1978

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Dictionary Entries Near heterophobia

Cite this Entry

“Heterophobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heterophobia. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!