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Russophobia

Russophobia

1 9.2
A strong dislike or fear of Russia, including its people and government
  • noun
  • /ˌrʌsəˈfoʊbiə/
  • Offensive
: rusofobia
  • In relations with the West, Russian officials sometimes seem determined to add fuel to the fire of Russophobia.

Examples

  • Many people express Russophobia when discussing Russia's military actions in Ukraine.

  • The Russophobia openly expressed by Central and Eastern European leaders and the implied promise to expand NATO membership in the next round to countries bordering Russia strongly suggests that advocates of enlargement have a particular adversary in mind.

    Academic text (1998)
  • It is incorrect because people who live and who want to be friends with Russia who are against the policy that the authorities profess in the form of radical Russophobia and anti-Russian hysteria and want normal relations with our neighbors, people who stand for the values that unfortunately, in recent years, have disappeared. - Your solution, although it probably is impossible to get, would be to split Ukraine into west and east.

  • For years, the Kremlin's propaganda machine has accused Baltic governments of "Russophobia" and "the rehabilitation of Nazism"—the same clichés that were used to justify the aggression against Ukraine.

    Academic text (2015)
  • The rise of Russophobia in some Western countries is often fueled by negative media portrayals.

  • The conference aimed to address the harmful effects of Russophobia on international relations.

Antonyms

1 8.9

A person who likes Russia, its people or its culture

How Anti-Russian

Russophobia
  • Offensive
1 9.2
antipathy
14 8.3
indifference
66 4.6

Surface Forms

Russophobia singular
Russophobias plural

Morphology

Russophobia = phobia (semi-transparent) = russo + phobia

The form clearly combines Russo- 'Russian/Russia' with phobia 'fear', but the modern sense also includes ideological dislike, so the meaning is slightly extended.

Etymology

The word Russophobia combines Russo- (from 'Russia') and -phobia (meaning 'fear'). So, it refers to a strong fear or dislike of Russia, its people, or its policies.