'homophobe' originates from English, ultimately formed from the Greek elements 'homo-' and '-phobia', where 'homo-' meant 'same' and 'phobos' meant 'fear'.

'homophobia' was coined in English in the late 1960s (often attributed to psychologist George Weinberg, 1969) from Greek roots 'homo-' + 'phobia'; the noun 'homophobe' developed later by adding the agent suffix '-phobe' to denote a person characterized by that fear or prejudice.

Initially it referred primarily to a 'fear of homosexuals,' but over time it has broadened to denote prejudice, hostility, or discriminatory attitudes and actions toward homosexual and, more broadly, LGBTQ+ people.