noun
(also germaphobe)
A person with an extreme fear of germs and an obsession with cleanliness.
‘I'm not a germophobe, but everyone knows that hotel remote controls are never cleaned and are probably filthy’- ‘Maybe they saw me not as some crazed germophobe, but as someone who was actually sick.’
- ‘He was a germophobe with obsessive-compulsive disorder.’
- ‘I'm no germophobe, but I dread to think what that petri dish is breeding.’
- ‘OK, I'll admit that I am a bit of a germophobe, but is it really necessary for people to lick their fingers when paging through a stack of documents?’
- ‘Call me a prude, call me a germaphobe, but I can't be the only girl who has a problem with this.’
- ‘It makes for a great horror movie for germophobes!’
- ‘And germophobes, relax: city water is chlorinated, and experts report that pathogens impolitely left on spigots by the lips of preceding drinkers don't creep down into pipes.’
- ‘The germophobe in me hates to sacrifice a chunk of cheese or tangy pickle when it falls on the table instead of the plate.’
- ‘We've become a nation of germophobes, battling to obliterate every bug in our environment.’
- ‘She's a germophobe who finds it easier to avoid physical contact with other people and hasn't invited anyone into her home for a long time.’
- ‘The store even has fake vintage Tshirts for germophobes who can't stand to wear used clothing.’
- ‘Any germophobes out there would have long left this establishment but, to be honest, I've eaten in far, far worse environments.’
Origin
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