Word.ws English Dictionary

water-fearing

water-fearing adjective: lacking affinity for water; hydrophobic.

Adjective

water-fearing (comparative more water-fearing, superlative most water-fearing)

  1. Lacking 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

Antonyms of water-fearing

Forms of water-fearing

comparativemore water-fearing
superlativemost water-fearing

Origin of water-fearing

From water + fearing. Alternatively, equivalent to water-fear + -ing.

Questions about water-fearing

What does water-fearing mean?
Water-fearing means lacking affinity for water; hydrophobic.
What part of speech is water-fearing?
Water-fearing is an adjective.

Words near water-fearing in the dictionary

  1. water-docks
  2. water-elder
  3. water-elders
  4. water-fast
  5. water-fear
  6. water-fearing
  7. water-fears
  8. water-free
  9. water-gall
  10. water-galls
  11. water-gang

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: water-fearing (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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