What does xenophobia mean?
Word: Xenophobia
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Xenophobia means a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures, often without any real reason.
Synonyms: prejudice, intolerance
Antonyms: tolerance, openness
Word origin: Built in modern times from two ancient Greek words.
How do you spell xenophobia?
Syllables: xen - o - pho - bi - a
Tricky part: The first letter is an x that is said like a z, so students who write what they hear begin the word with a z.
Watch out for: zenophobia, xennophobia
Memory tip: Think of the xylophone in your music room: both words open with an x that sounds just like a z.
Xenophobia in a sentence
Example 1: Our history teacher explained how xenophobia can turn neighbours against one another.
Example 2: The new film about migrant workers in a big city shows how hurtful xenophobia can be.
Example 3: Mira wrote her debate speech on why sport can help to break down xenophobia.
Fun Fact
Xenophobia is a young word for a very old feeling: it is far younger in English than everyday words such as fear and stranger, although the feeling it names is ancient.
Practise the CREST Way
Back to the Roots
Choose the option that completes the sentence correctly:
The first part of xenophobia comes from a Greek word that means ___.
a) light or brightness
b) water or the sea
c) a sound or a voice
d) a stranger or a guest
Show answer
d) a stranger or a guest. Xenophobia is a fear of outsiders, so its first root has to name the outsider: a stranger.
Word Champ
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
xen_phobia
a) e
b) a
c) o
d) i
Show answer
c) o. A linking o joins the two parts of the word, just as it does in thermometer.
Spellacadabra
Choose the misspelt word:
a) xenofobia
b) catastrophe
c) conscientious
d) entrepreneur
Show answer
a) xenofobia. The f sound in this word is written ph, as it is in catastrophe.
Spell Probe
Choose the meaning of the misspelt word in the given sentence:
Grandpa believes that xenophobea usually grows out of ignorance, and that the best remedy is curiosity about how others live.
a) suspicion of outsiders simply because they are foreign
b) a lack of knowledge or information about something
c) a strong wish to know or learn about something
d) a way of dealing with or improving a difficult situation
Show answer
a) suspicion of outsiders simply because they are foreign. The ending here is ia, as in mania, so xenophobea is the misspelt word.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which kind of person is least likely to show xenophobia?
a) an insular person
b) a parochial person
c) a narrow-minded person
d) a cosmopolitan person
Show answer
d) a cosmopolitan person
2. Which plan would do most to fight xenophobia in a school?
a) a new set of science textbooks for the senior classes
b) an exchange visit with a school in another country
c) a longer lunch break for every class in the school
d) an extra hour of mathematics for everyone each week
Show answer
b) an exchange visit with a school in another country
