1. an excessive fear of germs and contamination; a phobia characterized by anxiety about infection and disease
Usage: also called mysophobia; informal but widely recognized in medical and psychological contexts

Examples

• Her germophobia made it difficult for her to shake hands with colleagues.
• The patient's germophobia led to compulsive hand-washing throughout the day.
• During the pandemic, some people's germophobia intensified significantly.
• He struggled with germophobia and avoided public transportation whenever possible.
• Germophobia can interfere with normal social interactions and daily activities.
• The therapist helped her manage her germophobia through exposure therapy.