© 2026 Sloth Lingo. Learn easy. Lounge wisely.

xenophobia

Upper-Intermediate (B2)

IPA: /ˌzɛnəˈfoʊbiə/

KK: /zɛnəˈfoʊbiə/

noun
Definition

A strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.


Example

Xenophobia can lead to discrimination and social tension in communities.


Conversation
Sloth A
Have you noticed how some people can be so quick to judge others?
Sloth B
Yeah, it's really sad and shows a lot of xenophobia in our society.
Sloth A
Exactly! It makes it hard for everyone to just get along.
Sloth B
I think we need more conversations to break down those barriers.

Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
bigotry
prejudice
bias
Antonyms
acceptance
tolerance
openness
Root Explanation

Xenophobia is formed from "xenos" (meaning stranger or foreigner) and "phobos" (meaning fear). The word describes the fear or dislike of people from other countries or cultures.

Memory Tip

Think of 'xenos' meaning stranger and 'phobos' meaning fear — xenophobia is the fear of strangers or foreigners.

Visually Confused Words
neophobia
ecophobia
demonophobia
deipnophobia
cremnophobia
theophobia
panophobia
oecophobia
Is this page helpful?