Homophobics

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of individuals exhibiting irrational fear or hatred towards those who identify as LGBTQIA+
2. Individuals who actively express prejudice against sexual and gender minorities, often driven by stigma and intolerance
3. People who harbor negative attitudes toward homosexuality and related identities, often resulting in discrimination and social exclusion

Etymology: "Homophobics" is simply the plural of "homophobic," which means hateful toward gay people. Its first half is "homo-," shortened from "homosexual," itself a 19th-century coinage: the German writer Karl-Maria Kertbeny's term, later borrowed into English. The second half, "-phobic," comes from the Ancient Greek "phóbos," meaning fear or dread, which entered English through the New Latin combining form "-phobia." Words built this way, from Greek roots, were a standard tool for naming fears and aversions, like "claustrophobia" or "xenophobia." The noun "homophobic" was formed in English from "homo-" and "-phobic," so the word is a modern compound rather than an ancient one. The "-ic" ending is an adjective suffix, inherited through Latin and Old French, that turns "phobia" into a descriptor of a person or attitude. Its plural simply adds an "s" to the noun form used for people who hold such attitudes.

Synonyms: homophobes

Antonyms: ally, supporter