1. having an excessive fear of germs and contamination; overly concerned with cleanliness and avoiding infection
Usage: informal; often used to describe behavior or attitudes rather than a clinical diagnosis

Examples

• My germophobic aunt washes her hands every few minutes and refuses to touch doorknobs.
• He became increasingly germophobic after reading articles about bacteria.
• The germophobic behavior intensified during the pandemic.
• She's not germophobic, just reasonably cautious about hygiene.
• His germophobic tendencies make it difficult for him to enjoy public spaces.
• The germophobic patient insisted on wearing gloves at all times.