List of Phobias A to Z — 732 Fears and Their Names

By Prof. Raju Vatsavayi

A phobia is an intense, persistent fear of a particular thing or situation, out of proportion to any real danger. This list gives 732 phobias from A to Z with what each one fears and a short note on the term, from clinical fears such as arachnophobia (spiders) and acrophobia (heights), through popular coinages such as trypophobia, to the sociocultural “-phobia” words that name a prejudice rather than a medical fear.

What counts as a phobia

In clinical terms a specific phobia is an anxiety disorder: meeting the trigger reliably brings on fear or anxiety, the person avoids it or endures it with distress, and the reaction is out of proportion to the actual risk. Recognized types include animal, natural-environment (heights, storms, water), blood-injection-injury and situational phobias. A few broader conditions carry “-phobia” names too: agoraphobia is a recognized disorder in its own right, and what was once called social phobia is now clinically social anxiety disorder.

Not every word ending in “-phobia” is a diagnosis. Many are popular or novelty coinages, real words in wide use but not formal diagnoses, such as trypophobia (clusters of holes), coulrophobia (clowns) and the tongue-in-cheek arachibutyrophobia (peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth). The notes column says which is which.

“-phobia” words that mean prejudice, not fear

A separate group of words, among them xenophobia, homophobia and Islamophobia, borrow the ending but describe no clinical fear at all. They name a prejudice, aversion or hostility toward a group of people and belong to the language of society and politics rather than medicine. The list keeps them because the words are common and end the same way, but each one is labeled a sociocultural term in its note. There are 59 of them here; typing “sociocultural” in the search box lists them together.

Phobias and the Fears They Name

No phobia matches that search.

A

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Ablutophobia	bathing, washing, or cleaning oneself	Rare specific-phobia term.
Acarophobia	mites, ticks, small insects, or itching	Sometimes linked to the sensation of skin infestation (delusional parasitosis).
Acephobia	asexual people or asexuality	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Acerophobia	sourness or sour tastes	From Latin acer 'sour'.
Achluophobia	darkness	Also called nyctophobia, lygophobia, or scotophobia.
Acidophobia	acidic conditions	Natural-science usage: avoidance of acidic environments, not a psychiatric fear.
Acousticophobia	noise or particular sounds	A form or synonym of phonophobia.
Acrophobia	heights	Established specific-phobia term.
Aeroacrophobia	open high places	Combines heights and open space.
Aeronausiphobia	vomiting brought on by airsickness	—
Aerophobia	flying or aircraft	Also called aviophobia; the literal sense is fear of air, drafts, or swallowing air.
Afrophobia	African people, cultures, or things associated with Africa	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Agateophobia	insanity	—
Agliophobia	pain	Variant spelling of algophobia found in popular reference works.
Agoraphobia	open or public places, or situations from which escape may be difficult	Recognized anxiety disorder (DSM-5); more than simply fear of open spaces. Greek agora, 'marketplace'.
Agraphobia	sexual abuse	Also called contreltophobia.
Agrizoophobia	wild animals	—
Agyrophobia	crossing streets or roads	Rare specific-phobia term; sometimes treated as a synonym of dromophobia.
Aibohphobia	palindromes	Humorous coinage; the word itself is a palindrome.
Aichmophobia	sharp or pointed objects; needles	Greek aichme 'point of a spear'.
AIDS phobia	having or catching HIV	Clinical descriptive term (also HIV phobia) for fear that persists despite negative tests; distinct from prejudice against people living with HIV.
Ailurophobia	cats	Also gatophobia/felinophobia; classic dictionary term. Greek ailouros 'cat'.
Akousticophobia	sound	—
Albanophobia	Albanians or Albanian culture	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Albuminurophobia	kidney disease	—
Alektorophobia	chickens or poultry	Also spelled alectorophobia.
Algophobia	pain	Established medical and psychological term.
Alliumphobia	garlic	—
Allodoxaphobia	opinions	—
Altophobia	heights	Synonym of acrophobia.
Amakaphobia	carriages	—
Amathophobia	dust	Rare lexicographic term.
Amaxophobia	riding in or driving a vehicle	Also called ochophobia or hamaxophobia.
Ambulophobia	walking	Rare specific-phobia term; may overlap with basophobia or stasiphobia.
Americanophobia	the United States, Americans, or American culture	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Amnesiphobia	amnesia / loss of memory	—
Amychophobia	scratches, being scratched, or claw marks	Rare lexicographic term.
Anablephobia	looking upward	Rare specific-phobia term.
Anatidaephobia	being watched by a duck	Fictional joke phobia coined by Gary Larson in a 1988 Far Side comic; not clinically recognized. From Anatidae, the duck/goose/swan family.
Ancraophobia	wind or drafts	Also called anemophobia.
Androphobia	men	Specific or social fear term.
Anemophobia	wind or drafts	Synonym of ancraophobia.
Anesthesia phobia	being put under anesthesia	Descriptive medical-procedure term; narrower than tomophobia (surgery).
Anginophobia	choking, angina, or tightness in the throat or chest	The meaning varies among medical and lexicographic references.
Anglophobia	England, English people, or English culture	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Angrophobia	anger or of becoming angry	—
Ankylophobia	immobility of a joint	—
Anopheliphobia	mosquitoes	Popular coinage from Anopheles, the malaria-mosquito genus (also anophelophobia); not a standard dictionary or clinical term. Clinically a form of entomophobia.
Anoraknophobia	anoraks	Humorous fictional wordplay on arachnophobia; used as a title in popular culture.
Anthophobia	flowers	Rare specific-phobia term.
Anthrophobia	flowers	Variant spelling of anthophobia.
Anthropophobia	people or human company	May overlap with social anxiety but is not identical to it.
Antlophobia	floods	—
Anuptaphobia	staying single / not marrying	—
Apeirophobia	infinity or eternity	Rare specific-phobia term.
Aphenphosmphobia	being touched	Rare synonym of haphephobia.
Aphephobia	being touched	Variant of haphephobia.
Apiphobia	bees	Also melissophobia; Latin apis 'bee'.
Aporophobia	poor people or poverty	Sociocultural term for prejudice or hostility toward people without financial resources.
Apotemnophobia	amputation, amputees, or becoming an amputee	Rare term; definitions vary.
Aquaphobia	water	Psychological fear of water; distinct from hydrophobia as rabies or a material property.
Arabophobia	Arabs or Arab culture	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Arachibutyrophobia	peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth	Well-known novelty term; not a clinical diagnosis.
Arachnephobia	spiders	Variant spelling of arachnophobia.
Arachnophobia	spiders and other arachnids	Established specific-phobia term.
Arithmophobia	numbers or arithmetic	Also called numerophobia.
Arophobia	aromantic people or aromanticism	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Arrhenphobia	men	—
Arsonphobia	fire	Also pyrophobia.
Aschimophobia	ugliness	Rare synonym of cacophobia.
Asthenophobia	fainting or weakness	—
Astraphobia	thunder and lightning	Also called brontophobia, keraunophobia, or tonitrophobia.
Astrapophobia	thunder and lightning	—
Astrophobia	stars, outer space, or celestial phenomena	Rare specific-phobia term.
Asymmetriphobia	asymmetrical things	—
Ataxiophobia	the loss of bodily control or muscular coordination	—
Ataxophobia	disorder or untidiness	—
Atelophobia	imperfection or not being good enough	Popular psychological term; not a separate DSM or ICD diagnosis.
Atephobia	ruin or ruins	—
Athazagoraphobia	forgetting, being forgotten, or being ignored	Rare modern term; not a formal diagnostic category.
Atomosophobia	atomic explosions	—
Atychiphobia	failure	Popular psychological term; not a separate DSM or ICD diagnosis.
Aulophobia	flutes	—
Aurophobia	gold	—
Auroraphobia	Northern lights (auroras)	—
Autodysomophobia	vile odor	—
Automatonophobia	humanlike figures such as dolls, wax figures, mannequins, or automatons	Anything that falsely represents a sentient being.
Automysophobia	being dirty	—
Autophobia	being alone, isolated, or abandoned	Also called monophobia or isolophobia.
Aviatophobia	flying	—
Aviophobia	flying	Also called aerophobia or flight phobia.

B

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Bacillophobia	microbes or bacteria	Also bacteriophobia/microbiophobia.
Bacteriophobia	bacteria or bacterial contamination	May overlap with mysophobia or germophobia.
Ballistophobia	bullets, missiles, or projectiles	Rare lexicographic term.
Bambakomallophobia	cotton wool	From Greek bambakion (cotton) and mallos (wool); an aversion to the texture and squeak of cotton wool. Rare term.
Barophobia	gravity	Rare specific-phobia term.
Basiphobia	standing, walking, or falling	Variant of basophobia; often associated with fear of falling.
Basophobia	inability to stand or walk, or of falling	Also spelled basiphobia.
Bathmophobia	stairs or steep slopes	Rare specific-phobia term.
Bathophobia	depth or deep places	Greek bathos 'depth'.
Batophobia	heights or being close to high buildings	—
Batrachophobia	amphibians such as frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders	—
Belonephobia	needles, pins, or sharp pointed instruments	Related to aichmophobia and trypanophobia.
Bibliophobia	books or reading	May also mean cultural hostility toward books or their influence.
Biphobia	bisexual people or bisexuality	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Blennophobia	slime	Also myxophobia.
Blood-injection-injury phobia	blood, injections, injury, or related medical procedures	Recognized specific-phobia subtype; can involve fainting.
Bogyphobia	bogeys or the bogeyman	—
Bolshephobia	Bolsheviks	Political term for hostility toward Bolshevism; not a clinical diagnosis.
Botanophobia	plants	Rare specific-phobia term.
Bromidrophobia	body smells	—
Bromidrosiphobia	body odor	Also called bromidrophobia.
Brontophobia	thunder and lightning	Synonym of astraphobia; Greek bronte 'thunder'.
Bufonophobia	toads	Rare animal-phobia term.

C

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Cacomorphobia	fat people or obesity in others	Rare term; often reads as weight stigma rather than a clinical fear.
Cacophobia	ugliness	Also called aschimophobia.
Cainophobia	newness or change	Variant or synonym of neophobia.
Cainotophobia	newness or change	Variant or synonym of neophobia.
Caligynephobia	beautiful women	—
Cancerophobia	cancer	Also carcinophobia; a recognized health anxiety.
Carcinophobia	cancer	Also called cancer phobia.
Cardiophobia	heart disease, heart sensations, or having a heart attack	Health-anxiety term.
Carnophobia	meat	Rare food-related phobia term.
Catagelophobia	being ridiculed	Also katagelophobia.
Catalanophobia	catalans, Catalonia, Catalan culture, or the Catalan language	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Catapedaphobia	jumping from high and low places	—
Cathisophobia	sitting	Also kathisophobia.
Catoptrophobia	mirrors	Related to eisoptrophobia and spectrophobia.
Cenophobia	empty spaces or voids	Also spelled kenophobia (Greek kenos, 'empty'); occasionally conflated with cainophobia, fear of newness.
Cenotophobia	voids, empty rooms, barren spaces	—
Centophobia	new things or ideas	—
Cephalalgiaphobia	headaches or developing a headache	Medical or health-anxiety term.
Ceraunophobia	thunder and lightning	Also keraunophobia.
Chaetophobia	hair	May involve loose hair, body hair, or hair on other people.
Cheimaphobia	cold	Also cheimatophobia/psychrophobia/frigophobia.
Cheimatophobia	cold	—
Chemophobia	chemicals or working with chemicals	Widely used for aversion to synthetic chemicals.
Cherophobia	happiness or becoming happy	Popular psychological term; not a separate formal diagnosis.
Chionophobia	snow	Natural-environment specific-phobia term.
Chiraptophobia	being touched	—
Chirophobia	hands	Rare lexicographic term.
Chiroptophobia	bats	—
Chlorophobia	the color green	Rare color-phobia term; also prasinophobia.
Cholerophobia	anger, or of cholera	—
Chorophobia	dancing	Rare specific-phobia term.
Chrematophobia	money	Synonym of chrometophobia.
Christianophobia	Christians or Christianity	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Chromatophobia	colors	Variant of chromophobia.
Chrometophobia	money	Also called chrematophobia.
Chromophobia	colors	Can refer to colors generally or particular colors.
Chronomentrophobia	clocks	—
Chronometrophobia	clocks or timepieces	Variant of chronomentrophobia.
Chronophobia	time or the passage of time	Rare specific-phobia term.
Cibophobia	food or eating	May overlap with sitophobia; should not be equated automatically with an eating disorder.
Claustrophobia	enclosed or confined spaces	Established situational specific-phobia term.
Cleisiophobia	being locked in an enclosed place	—
Cleithrophobia	being locked in or trapped	Distinct from claustrophobia; also spelled cleisiophobia. Compare clithrophobia.
Cleptophobia	stealing or being robbed	Also kleptophobia.
Climacophobia	stairs, climbing, or falling down stairs	Rare specific-phobia term.
Clinophobia	going to bed or sleeping	Rare term; overlaps with somniphobia or hypnophobia.
Clithrophobia	being enclosed or locked in	Closely related variant of cleithrophobia.
Cnidophobia	stings or being stung	—
Coimetrophobia	cemeteries or graveyards	Rare specific-phobia term.
Coitophobia	sexual intercourse	Synonym of genophobia.
Cometophobia	comets	—
Consecotaleophobia	chopsticks	—
Contreltophobia	sexual abuse	—
Coprastasophobia	constipation	—
Coprophobia	feces or defecation	Rare specific-phobia term.
Coronaphobia	COVID-19 or contracting coronavirus disease	Term coined and studied during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Corticophobia	corticosteroid medicines, especially steroid creams	Term from skin-care research for marked worry about steroids; not necessarily a psychiatric phobia.
Cosmophobia	outer space, cosmic phenomena, or cosmic catastrophe	Rare specific-phobia term.
Coulrophobia	clowns	Widely used term, though not a distinct formal diagnosis.
Counterphobia	(not a fear) a drive to seek out the very situations one fears	Psychology term for counterphobic behavior; not a phobia.
Cremnophobia	precipices or steep cliffs	—
Cryophobia	extreme cold, ice, or frost	—
Crystallophobia	crystals or glass	—
Cyanophobia	the color blue	Rare color-phobia term; also kyanophobia.
Cyberphobia	computers or working with computers	—
Cyclophobia	bicycles	—
Cymophobia	waves or wave-like motions	Also kymophobia.
Cynophobia	dogs	Common clinical phobia; Greek kyon (kynos) dog. Standard dictionary term.
Cyprianophobia	prostitutes or venereal disease	—
Cypridophobia	prostitutes or venereal disease	Also cypriphobia; compare venereophobia.
Cyprinophobia	prostitutes or venereal disease	—
Cypriphobia	prostitutes or venereal disease	—

D

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Daemonophobia	demons	Variant spelling of demonophobia.
Decidophobia	making decisions	Popular psychological term; not a separate DSM or ICD diagnosis.
Defecaloesiophobia	painful bowel movements	—
Deipnophobia	dining or dinner conversations	—
Dementophobia	insanity	—
Demonophobia	demons or supernatural evil	Also called daemonophobia.
Demophobia	crowds	Also enochlophobia/ochlophobia.
Dendrophobia	trees	Rare specific-phobia term.
Dentophobia	dentists or dental treatment	Synonym or near-synonym of odontophobia.
Dermatopathophobia	skin disease	—
Dermatophobia	skin disease, skin lesions, or touching skin	Definitions vary among references.
Dermatosiophobia	skin disease	—
Dextrophobia	objects at the right side of the body	—
Diabetophobia	diabetes	—
Didaskaleinophobia	school or going to school	Rare term; school refusal may have multiple causes and is not always a phobia.
Dikephobia	justice	—
Dinophobia	dizziness or whirlpools	—
Diplophobia	double vision	—
Dipsophobia	drinking alcohol	—
Dishabiliophobia	undressing in front of someone	—
Disposophobia	throwing things away (discarding possessions)	Informal term linked to hoarding; the distress is about discarding, not a fear of hoarding.
Domatophobia	houses or being inside a house	Rare specific-phobia term.
Doraphobia	fur or animal skins	—
Dorophobia	gifts, giving or receiving them	Rare popular term; not a formal diagnosis.
Doxophobia	expressing opinions or of receiving praise	—
Dromophobia	crossing streets, roads, or traveling	Definitions vary; sometimes treated as a synonym of agyrophobia.
Dutchphobia	the Dutch	Sociocultural curiosity term found in older word lists; not a clinical diagnosis.
Dysmorphophobia	a perceived defect in one's appearance	Historical term associated with body dysmorphic disorder; not simply a specific phobia.
Dystychiphobia	accidents or being involved in an accident	Also spelled dystichiphobia.

E

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Ecclesiophobia	churches or religious buildings	Rare specific-phobia term.
Ecophobia	the home and household surroundings	Older medical sense = fear of home (compare oikophobia); a modern literary sense denotes dread of ecological or environmental catastrophe.
Eicophobia	home or home surroundings	—
Eisoptrophobia	mirrors or of seeing oneself in a mirror	Related to catoptrophobia and spectrophobia.
Electrophobia	electricity	—
Eleutherophobia	freedom	Rare lexicographic term.
Elevator phobia	riding in elevators (lifts)	Descriptive term; often overlaps with claustrophobia or a fear of being trapped.
Elurophobia	cats	Variant of ailurophobia.
Emetophobia	vomiting, seeing vomit, or becoming nauseated	Recognized and clinically studied specific phobia.
Enetephobia	pins	—
Enetophobia	pins or needles	Rare synonym related to belonephobia and trypanophobia.
Enissophobia	having committed an unpardonable sin or of criticism	—
Enochlophobia	crowds	Related to ochlophobia and may overlap with agoraphobia.
Enosiophobia	having committed a sin, or of criticism	Also spelled enissophobia.
Entomophobia	insects, such as mosquitoes, flies, gnats, or cockroaches	Also insectophobia; Greek entomon 'insect'.
Eosophobia	dawn or daylight	—
Ephebiphobia	teenagers or youth	Coined term for fear or dislike of adolescents.
Epistaxiophobia	nosebleeds	—
Epistemophobia	knowledge	—
Equinophobia	horses	Also hippophobia; Latin equus 'horse'.
Erasiophobia	sexual love or sexuality	Rare term; related to erotophobia.
Eremophobia	being alone or solitude	Rare synonym related to autophobia and monophobia.
Ereuthophobia	red lights or blushing or color red	—
Ereuthrophobia	blushing	Also erythrophobia/erythophobia.
Ergasiophobia	work or functioning or surgeon’s fear of operating on a patient	Sometimes used for a surgeon's fear of operating.
Ergophobia	work or the workplace	May overlap with anxiety, depression, or occupational stress.
Erotophobia	sexuality, sexual activity, or sexual discussion	Can describe an attitude dimension as well as a fear.
Erythrophobia	the color red, blushing, or being observed blushing	Meaning depends on context; blushing phobia is clinically recognized.
Erytophobia	red lights or blushing or color red	—
Escalator phobia	approaching or riding escalators	Descriptive term reported in clinical case literature.
Euphobia	hearing good news	—
Europhobia	Europe, European integration, or European culture	Political or sociocultural term; not a clinical diagnosis.
Eurotophobia	female genitalia	Also called kolpophobia.

F

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Fatphobia	fat people or fatness	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility (in use from the 1980s); not a clinical diagnosis.
Febriphobia	fever	Rare medical-phobia term.
Felinophobia	cats	Synonym of ailurophobia.
Feminophobia	women	Rare synonym of gynophobia; can also be used socioculturally.
Fibriophobia	fever	—
Fibriphobia	fever	—
Food neophobia	trying unfamiliar foods	Studied behavioral trait, common in children; not in itself an anxiety or eating disorder.
Francophobia	France, French people, or French culture	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Friggatriskaidekaphobia	Friday the 13th	Also called paraskevidekatriaphobia.
Frigophobia	cold or becoming cold	May be culturally shaped; also used for intolerance of cold.
Fykiaphobia	seaweed	Rare term; not a formal diagnosis.

G

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Galeophobia	sharks (in some older lists, cats)	Greek galeos, a kind of shark; the older cat sense comes from gale, weasel. Compare selachophobia.
Galiophobia	France or French culture	Variant of Gallophobia; sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Gallophobia	France or French culture	Also Francophobia; Latin Gallus.
Gamophobia	marriage or commitment	Popular psychological term; not a separate formal diagnosis.
Gatophobia	cats	Rare synonym of ailurophobia.
Gayphobia	gay men or male homosexuality	Sociocultural term; homophobia is more common.
Geliophobia	laughter	—
Gelotophobia	being laughed at or ridiculed	Clinically studied individual-difference construct.
Geniophobia	chins	—
Genophobia	sexual intercourse	Also called coitophobia.
Genuphobia	knees or kneeling	Rare specific-phobia term.
Gephydrophobia	crossing bridges	Variant spelling of gephyrophobia.
Gephyrophobia	bridges or crossing bridges	Situational specific-phobia term.
Gephysrophobia	crossing bridges	Variant spelling of gephyrophobia found in popular lists.
Gerascophobia	aging or growing old	Distinct from gerontophobia, which may target elderly people.
Germanophobia	Germany, Germans, or German culture	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Germaphobia	germs or contamination	Variant spelling of germophobia; synonym of mysophobia.
Germophobia	germs or contamination	Popular synonym of mysophobia or verminophobia.
Gerontophobia	elderly people or growing old	Can be a fear term or a sociocultural prejudice term.
Geumaphobia	taste	Also geumophobia.
Geumophobia	taste	—
Globophobia	balloons, especially their bursting	Rare specific-phobia term.
Glossophobia	public speaking / speaking aloud	Very common; Greek glossa 'tongue'.
Gnomophobia	garden gnomes	Novelty/curiosity term; not a formal diagnosis.
Gnosiophobia	knowledge	—
Graphophobia	writing or handwriting	—
Gymnophobia	nudity or seeing naked bodies	Rare specific-phobia term.
Gynephobia	women	—
Gynophobia	women	Specific or social fear term; also spelled gynephobia.

H

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Hadephobia	hell	Rare religious-fear term.
Hagiophobia	saints or holy things	—
Halitophobia	having bad breath	May involve persistent false belief despite reassurance; also called delusional halitosis in severe cases.
Hamartophobia	sinning	—
Haphephobia	being touched	Also called aphephobia, haphophobia, or aphenphosmphobia.
Haphophobia	being touched	Variant of haphephobia.
Haptephobia	being touched	—
Haptophobia	touching or being touched	Variant of haphephobia.
Harpaxophobia	being robbed	—
Hedonophobia	pleasure or experiencing pleasure	Rare psychological term.
Heliophobia	the sun or sunlight	Greek helios 'sun'.
Hellenologophobia	Greek terms or complex scientific terminology	—
Hellenophobia	Greeks or Greek culture	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Helminthophobia	worms, especially parasitic worms	Related to scoleciphobia and vermiphobia.
Hematophobia	blood	—
Hemophobia	blood	Also hematophobia or hemaphobia (British spellings haemophobia, haematophobia). Recognized specific phobia.
Heptadecaphobia	the number 17	Also called heptadekaphobia; culturally prominent in Italy.
Heptadekaphobia	the number 17	Variant spelling of heptadecaphobia.
Hereiophobia	challenges to official doctrine or of radical deviation	—
Heresyphobia	challenges to official doctrine or of radical deviation	—
Herpetophobia	reptiles or creepy crawly things	Greek herpeton 'reptile'.
Heterophobia	heterosexual people or heterosexuality	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia	the number 666	Novelty/curiosity term; from Greek numerals for 666.
Hibernophobia	Ireland or Irish people	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Hierophobia	priests or sacred things	—
Hinduphobia	Hindus or Hinduism	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Hippophobia	horses	Synonym of equinophobia.
Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia	long words	Humorous elaboration of sesquipedalophobia; not a clinical diagnosis.
Hispanophobia	Hispanic people, Spanish culture, or the Spanish language	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Hobophobia	beggars or vagrants	—
Hodophobia	travel or journeys	Rare situational-phobia term.
Homichlophobia	fog	Rare natural-environment phobia term.
Homilophobia	sermons	—
Hominophobia	men	—
Homoerotophobia	homosexuality or gay people	Older term for anti-gay prejudice that homophobia replaced around 1969; sociocultural term, not a clinical diagnosis.
Homophobia	homosexuality or gay people	Chiefly denotes aversion or prejudice rather than a clinical phobia; a rare literal sense is fear of sameness or monotony.
Hoplophobia	firearms or weapons	Coined term, widely used in firearms debate.
Hormephobia	shock	—
Hungarophobia	Hungarians or Hungarian culture	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Hyalophobia	glass	—
Hydrargyophobia	mercurial medicines	—
Hydrophobia	water	Also an old name for rabies; Greek hydor 'water'.
Hydrophobophobia	rabies	—
Hyelophobia	glass	Also hyalophobia.
Hygrophobia	liquids, dampness, or moisture	—
Hylephobia	materialism	Greek hyle, 'matter/wood'; a rare older sense is fear of epilepsy, and it is sometimes confused with hylophobia (forests).
Hylophobia	forests, woods, or trees	Rare specific-phobia term.
Hypegiaphobia	responsibility	—
Hypengyophobia	responsibility	Also hypegiaphobia.
Hypnophobia	sleep or falling asleep	Also called somniphobia or clinophobia.
Hypoglycemia phobia	dangerously low blood sugar	Studied in diabetes care, usually as "fear of hypoglycemia"; realistic concern is not itself a phobia.
Hypophobia	(not a fear) an abnormal, risky lack of fear	Term used by the psychiatrists Isaac Marks and Randolph Nesse in 1994; the opposite of a phobia.
Hypsiphobia	height	—
Hypsophobia	heights	Variant of hypsiphobia; synonym of acrophobia.

I

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Iatrophobia	going to the doctor or of doctors	Medical-care-related specific phobia.
Ichthyophobia	fish, including dead fish or eating fish	Animal-type specific-phobia term.
Iconophobia	images, especially religious icons	Chiefly a religious and art-history term for hostility to images; not a clinical fear.
Ideophobia	ideas	—
Illyngophobia	vertigo or feeling dizzy when looking down	—
Indonesiaphobia	Indonesia, Indonesians, or Indonesian culture	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Indophobia	India, Indians, or Indian culture	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Insectophobia	insects	Synonym of entomophobia.
Intersexphobia	intersex people	Also interphobia. Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Iophobia	poison or being poisoned	Rare synonym of toxiphobia.
Iranophobia	Iran, Iranians, or Iranian culture	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Islamophobia	Islam or Muslims	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, discrimination, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Isolophobia	being alone or isolated	Rare synonym of autophobia or monophobia.
Isopterophobia	termites or insects that eat wood	—
Italophobia	Italy, Italians, or Italian culture	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Ithyphallophobia	seeing, thinking about, or having an erect penis	—

J

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Japanophobia	Japan or Japanese culture	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis. Also Nipponophobia.
Judeophobia	Jewish people or Judaism	Historical sociocultural term for anti-Jewish prejudice or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.

K

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Kainolophobia	newness or novelty	Variant of cainophobia / cainotophobia.
Kainophobia	newness or novelty	Variant of cainophobia; Greek kainos, 'new'.
Kainotophobia	newness or novelty	Variant of cainotophobia; synonym of neophobia.
Kakorrhaphiophobia	failure or defeat	—
Katagelophobia	ridicule	—
Kathisophobia	sitting down	—
Katsaridaphobia	cockroaches	Rare animal-phobia term.
Kayak phobia	paddling out to sea alone in a kayak	Described by the Danish doctor Alfred Bertelsen among Inuit seal hunters of West Greenland from 1902.
Keanuphobia	Keanu Reeves	Fictional phobia appearing in Dean Koontz's novel False Memory.
Kenophobia	empty spaces or the void	—
Keraunophobia	thunder and lightning	Related to astraphobia and brontophobia.
Kinesiophobia	movement or activity because it may cause pain or reinjury	Established rehabilitation and pain-medicine term.
Kinesophobia	movement or motion	Also kinetophobia.
Kinetophobia	movement or motion	—
Kleptophobia	stealing	—
Koinoniphobia	rooms or rooms full of people	—
Kolpophobia	genitals, particularly female	—
Koniophobia	dust	—
Kopophobia	fatigue or exhaustion	—
Koryophobia	Koreans or Korean culture	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Kosmikophobia	cosmic phenomena	—
Koumpounophobia	buttons on clothing	Rare specific-phobia term.
Kurdophobia	Kurds or Kurdish culture	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Kymophobia	waves	—
Kynophobia	rabies	Some lists give it as a variant of cynophobia (dogs).
Kyphophobia	stooping	—

L

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Lachanophobia	vegetables	Rare food-related phobia term.
Laliophobia	speaking or of stuttering	Also lalophobia.
Lalophobia	speaking or talking	Rare term; distinct from glossophobia, which usually concerns public speaking.
Latinophobia	Latino or Latin American people and cultures	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Lepidopterophobia	butterflies and moths	Animal-type specific-phobia term.
Lepraphobia	leprosy	—
Leprophobia	leprosy	Also lepraphobia.
Lesbophobia	lesbians or lesbianism	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, discrimination, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Leukophobia	the color white	Rare color-phobia term.
Levophobia	things to the left side of the body	—
Ligyrophobia	loud noises	—
Lilapsophobia	tornadoes or hurricanes	Natural-environment specific-phobia term.
Limnophobia	lakes or inland bodies of water	Rare natural-environment phobia term.
Linonophobia	string, thread, or cord	Rare specific-phobia term.
Lipophobia	fat in food or dietary fat	Often a cultural or dietary aversion rather than a clinical phobia; in science, lipophobic means fat-repelling.
Liticaphobia	lawsuits	—
Lochiophobia	childbirth	Variant of lockiophobia and synonym of tokophobia.
Lockiophobia	childbirth	Rare synonym of tokophobia; also spelled lochiophobia.
Logizomechanophobia	computers	—
Logophobia	words	—
Luiphobia	lues or syphilis	—
Luposlipaphobia	being chased by timber wolves around a kitchen table while wearing socks on a newly waxed floor	Humorous fictional coinage by cartoonist Gary Larson.
Lusophobia	Portugal, Portuguese people, culture, or language	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Lutraphobia	otters	—
Lygophobia	darkness	Rare synonym of nyctophobia or achluophobia.
Lyssophobia	rabies, or of becoming mad	—

M

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Macrophobia	long waits	—
Mageirocophobia	cooking	Rare specific-phobia term.
Maieusiophobia	childbirth	—
Maizophobia	popcorn	Also called popcorn phobia (from maize, the corn popcorn is made from); popular term, not a formal diagnosis.
Malaxophobia	love play	Also sarmassophobia.
Malayophobia	Malays or Malay culture	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Maniaphobia	insanity	—
Masklophobia	masks, costumes, mascots, or masked people	Rare specific-phobia term.
Mastigophobia	punishment or flogging	—
Mechanophobia	machines or machinery	Rare specific-phobia term.
Medomalacuphobia	losing an erection	—
Medorthophobia	an erect penis	—
Megalophobia	large objects	Popular specific-phobia term; not a separate formal diagnosis.
Melanophobia	the color black	Rare color-phobia term.
Melissophobia	bees	Synonym of apiphobia.
Melophobia	music, or a hatred of it	—
Meningitophobia	brain disease / meningitis	—
Menophobia	menstruation	—
Merinthophobia	being bound or tied up	—
Metallophobia	metal or metallic objects	Rare lexicographic term.
Metathesiophobia	change	Rare synonym of neophobia.
Meteorophobia	meteors or meteorological phenomena	—
Methyphobia	alcohol	—
Metrophobia	poetry, or a hatred of it	—
Microbiophobia	microbes	—
Microphobia	small objects or very small things	Rare specific-phobia term.
Misophobia	being contaminated with dirt or germs	Variant of mysophobia.
Mnemophobia	memories	—
Molysmophobia	dirt or contamination	Also spelled molysomophobia.
Molysomophobia	dirt or contamination	—
Monopathophobia	a specific, definite disease	—
Monophobia	being alone or isolated	Also called autophobia, eremophobia, or isolophobia.
Motorphobia	motor vehicles or automobiles	—
Mottephobia	moths	Rare animal-phobia term; related to lepidopterophobia.
Muriphobia	mice	—
Murophobia	mice or rats	Synonym of musophobia.
Musicophobia	music, or an aversion to it	Variant of melophobia.
Musophobia	mice or rats	Also called murophobia or suriphobia.
Mycophobia	mushrooms or fungi	—
Mycrophobia	small things	Variant spelling of microphobia.
Myctophobia	darkness	—
Myrmecophobia	ants	Animal-type specific-phobia term.
Mysophobia	germs, dirt, or contamination	Popularly called germophobia; a recognized contamination-fear pattern.
Mythophobia	myths, stories, or false statements	—
Myxophobia	slime	—

N

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Nebulaphobia	fog	Also homichlophobia.
Necrophobia	death or dead things	Greek nekros 'corpse'.
Negrophobia	black people	Historical sociocultural term for racist prejudice or hostility; offensive in some contexts and not a clinical diagnosis.
Nelophobia	glass	—
Neopharmaphobia	new drugs or medicines	—
Neophobia	new things, novelty, change, or unfamiliar experiences	Used in psychology, animal behavior, and food research.
Nephophobia	clouds	Rare natural-environment specific-phobia term.
Nihilophobia	nothingness or nonexistence	Used in fiction and popular culture; not a standard clinical label.
Nipponophobia	Japan, Japanese people, or Japanese culture	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Noctiphobia	the night	Related to nyctophobia.
Nomatophobia	names	—
Nomophobia	being without mobile-phone access or connectivity	Modern coinage from 'no-mobile-phone phobia'; not a formal diagnosis.
Nosemaphobia	becoming ill	—
Nosocomephobia	hospitals	Medical-setting specific-phobia term.
Nosophobia	contracting a specific disease	A disease-anxiety pattern; compare hypochondria.
Nostophobia	returning home	—
Novercaphobia	one's stepmother	—
Nucleomituphobia	nuclear weapons	—
Nudophobia	nudity	—
Numerophobia	numbers	Also called arithmophobia.
Nyctohylophobia	dark wooded areas or of forests at night	—
Nyctophobia	darkness or night	Also called achluophobia, lygophobia, or scotophobia.

O

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Obesophobia	gaining weight or becoming fat	Also called pocrescophobia; may overlap with eating-disorder psychopathology.
Ochlophobia	crowds or mobs	Related to enochlophobia; may overlap with agoraphobia.
Ochophobia	vehicles	—
Octophobia	the number eight	Rare number-phobia term.
Odontophobia	dentists, dental treatment, or teeth	Often used synonymously with dental phobia.
Odynephobia	pain	—
Odynophobia	pain	Also odynephobia.
Oenophobia	wines	—
Oikophobia	home surroundings, the house, or household appliances	Also spelled ecophobia or eicophobia.
Oleophobia	oil	Usually a materials-science term meaning oil-repelling, not a psychiatric fear.
Olfactophobia	odors or smells	Synonym or near-synonym of osmophobia.
Ombrophobia	rain	Also called pluviophobia.
Ommatophobia	eyes	—
Ommetaphobia	eyes	Rare specific-phobia term.
Omphalophobia	belly buttons	—
Oneirogmophobia	wet dreams	—
Oneirophobia	dreams or dreaming	Rare specific-phobia term.
Onomatophobia	hearing a certain word or of names	—
Ophidiophobia	snakes	One of the most common; Greek ophis 'snake'.
Ophiophobia	snakes	Variant of ophidiophobia.
Ophthalmophobia	being stared at or watched	Often treated as a synonym of scopophobia; some lists give it as fear of eyes (compare ommetaphobia).
Opiophobia	prescribing (opioid) medication to patients	—
Optophobia	opening one’s eyes	—
Ornithophobia	birds	Animal-type specific-phobia term.
Orthophobia	property	—
Osmophobia	odors or smells	In medicine often refers to odor intolerance, especially with migraine, rather than psychiatric fear.
Osphresiophobia	smells or odors	—
Ostraconophobia	shellfish	Rare animal or food-related phobia term.
Ouranophobia	heaven	Also uranophobia.
Ovaphobia	eggs	—
Ovophobia	eggs, or disgust at eggs	Rare term; not a formal diagnosis.

P

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Paedophobia	children or babies	British spelling of pedophobia; may also be used socioculturally.
Pagophobia	ice or frost	—
Panophobia	everything or a pervasive unknown threat	Variant of panphobia.
Panphobia	everything or an unknown, pervasive threat	Also called pantophobia or panophobia; historical and nonstandard diagnostic term.
Panthophobia	suffering and disease	—
Pantophobia	everything	Variant of panphobia.
Papaphobia	the Pope or the papacy	Standard dictionary term.
Papyrophobia	paper	Rare specific-phobia term.
Paralipophobia	neglecting duty or responsibility	—
Paraphobia	sexual perversion	—
Parasitophobia	parasites	Health- or animal-related phobia term.
Paraskavedekatriaphobia	Friday the 13th	Variant spelling of paraskevidekatriaphobia; also friggatriskaidekaphobia.
Paraskevidekatriaphobia	Friday the 13th	Also called friggatriskaidekaphobia.
Parthenophobia	virgins or young girls	—
Parturiphobia	childbirth	—
Pathophobia	disease or illness	Rare synonym or near-synonym of nosophobia.
Patroiophobia	heredity	—
Peccatophobia	sinning or imaginary crimes	—
Pediaphobia	children	Variant spelling sometimes used for pedophobia; can be confused with pediophobia, fear of dolls.
Pediculophobia	lice	—
Pediophobia	dolls	Commonly confused with pedophobia, the fear of children.
Pedophobia	children or babies	Also spelled paedophobia.
Peladophobia	bald people or baldness	Rare lexicographic term.
Pellagrophobia	pellagra	—
Peniaphobia	poverty	—
Pentheraphobia	one's mother-in-law	—
Phagophobia	swallowing, often for fear of choking	Clinically studied fear that can cause psychogenic swallowing difficulty.
Phalacrophobia	becoming bald	—
Phallophobia	the penis, or of erections	Compare ithyphallophobia (specifically an erect penis).
Pharmacophobia	medicines or taking medication	—
Phasmophobia	ghosts or supernatural apparitions	Rare specific-phobia term.
Phengophobia	daylight or sunshine	—
Philemaphobia	kissing	Also philematophobia.
Philematophobia	kissing	—
Philophobia	love, falling in love, or emotional attachment	Popular psychological term; not a separate formal diagnosis.
Philosophobia	philosophy	—
Phobophobia	fear itself, or of developing a phobia	Notable self-referential term.
Phonophobia	loud sounds or noises, or of one's own voice	Also a neurological term for painful sensitivity to sound.
Photoaugliaphobia	glaring lights	—
Photophobia	light	Usually a medical symptom of light sensitivity rather than a psychiatric phobia.
Phronemophobia	thinking	—
Phthiriophobia	lice	—
Phthisiophobia	tuberculosis	—
Phyllophobia	leaves	Rare natural-environment phobia term.
Phytophobia	plants	Rare term; reported in psychoanalytic case writing.
Placophobia	tombstones	—
Plutophobia	wealth, money, or wealthy people	Rare popular term; meanings vary.
Pluviophobia	rain	Rare synonym of ombrophobia.
Pneumatiphobia	spirits or supernatural beings	Rare term; related to phasmophobia.
Pnigerophobia	choking or being smothered	—
Pnigophobia	choking or being smothered	Also pnigerophobia.
Pocrescophobia	gaining weight	Rare synonym of obesophobia.
Pogonophobia	beards	Established lexicographic term.
Poinephobia	punishment	—
Poliosophobia	contracting poliomyelitis	—
Politicophobia	politicians or politics	—
Polonophobia	Poland, Polish people, or Polish culture	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; also called anti-Polonism.
Polyphobia	many things, or everything	—
Ponophobia	overworking or of pain	—
Pornophobia	pornography	—
Porphyrophobia	the color purple	Rare color-phobia term.
Potamophobia	rivers or running water	Rare natural-environment phobia term.
Potophobia	alcohol or drinking	—
Prasinophobia	the color green	Rare color-phobia term; synonym of chlorophobia.
Proctophobia	rectums or rectal disease	—
Prosophobia	change or progress	Rare synonym listed for neophobia; also has other historical meanings.
Psellismophobia	stuttering	—
Psychophobia	mental illness or people with mental illness	Sociocultural term for stigma, prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Psychrophobia	cold	—
Pteromerhanophobia	flying	Rare synonym of aerophobia or aviophobia.
Pteronophobia	feathers or being tickled by feathers	Rare specific-phobia term.
Public urination phobia	urinating in public toilets or near others	Clinically paruresis or shy bladder syndrome; counted among the social phobias. The bowel counterpart is parcopresis (shy bowel).
Pupaphobia	puppets	—
Pyrexiophobia	fever	—
Pyrophobia	fire	Greek pyr 'fire'; recognized specific phobia.

Q

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Quadraphobia	the number four	—
Quadriplegiphobia	quadriplegics or fear of becoming a quadriplegic	—
Queerphobia	queer people or communities	Umbrella sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Quintaphobia	the number five	—

R

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Radiophobia	radiation, radioactivity, or X-rays	May be a specific fear or a broader social concern.
Ranidaphobia	frogs	Animal-type specific-phobia term.
Rectophobia	rectum or rectal diseases	—
Rhabdophobia	being beaten with a rod, or of punishment, criticism, or (archaically) magic	Greek rhabdos, 'rod'.
Rhodophobia	the color pink or red	Rare color-phobia term; meanings vary among lists.
Rhypophobia	defecation	—
Rhytiphobia	wrinkles or developing wrinkles	Rare lexicographic term.
Robophobia	robots or androids	Popular-culture and technology-anxiety term; not a standard clinical label.
Romaphobia	Romani people or Romani culture	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; also called anti-Romani sentiment.
Rupophobia	dirt	Also rypophobia.
Russophobia	Russia or Russians	Chiefly a sociocultural term for hostility toward Russia.
Rypophobia	filth, defecation, or of being soiled	—

S

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Samhainophobia	Halloween	Popular rare-phobia term; not a formal diagnosis.
Sarmassophobia	love play	—
Satanophobia	Satan or the devil	—
Scabiophobia	scabies	—
Scatophobia	fecal matter	—
Scelerophobia	bad men, burglars, or crime	—
Sciaphobia	shadows	—
Sciophobia	shadows	Also sciaphobia.
Scoleciphobia	worms	Rare synonym related to helminthophobia and vermiphobia.
Scolecophobia	worms	Variant of scoleciphobia; related to helminthophobia and vermiphobia.
Scolionophobia	school	—
Scopophobia	being watched, looked at, or stared at	Also called scoptophobia; may occur within social anxiety.
Scoptophobia	being watched, looked at, or stared at	Variant of scopophobia.
Scotomaphobia	blindness in visual field	—
Scotophobia	darkness	Rare synonym of nyctophobia.
Scriptophobia	writing in public	—
Sedatephobia	silence	From Latin sedatus, calmed; popular term, not a formal diagnosis.
Seismophobia	earthquakes	Documented in research; distinct from reasonable earthquake precautions.
Selachophobia	sharks	Synonym or near-synonym of galeophobia.
Selaphobia	flashes of light	—
Selenophobia	the moon	—
Semaphobia	using Semantic Web technologies	Humorous technical coinage, not a psychiatric phobia.
Seplophobia	decaying matter	—
Serbophobia	Serbs or Serbian culture	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Sesquipedaliophobia	long words	Variant of sesquipedalophobia.
Sesquipedalophobia	long words	Fear of long words; compare the jocular hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia.
Sexophobia	the opposite sex	Non-standard; overlaps with heterophobia. Some lists instead define it as fear of sexual organs or activity.
Shiaphobia	Shia Muslims or Shia Islam	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Siderodromophobia	trains or rail travel	Rare situational-phobia term.
Siderophobia	stars	—
Sinistrophobia	things to the left; left-handedness	—
Sinophobia	China, Chinese people, or Chinese culture	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Sitiophobia	food or eating	—
Sitophobia	food or eating	Also called cibophobia; historically may mean food refusal due to fear.
Snakephobia	snakes	Common English synonym of ophidiophobia.
Soceraphobia	parents-in-law	—
Social phobia	social situations involving possible scrutiny, embarrassment, or negative evaluation	Older/common name for social anxiety disorder.
Sociophobia	society or social situations	Overlaps with social anxiety disorder (social phobia).
Somniphobia	sleep or falling asleep	Also called hypnophobia.
Sophophobia	learning	—
Soteriophobia	dependence on others	—
Spacephobia	outer space	—
Spectrophobia	mirrors, reflections, ghosts, or apparitions	Definitions vary; often overlaps with eisoptrophobia or phasmophobia.
Spermatophobia	semen or its loss; some dictionaries give germs	Older medical writing used it for anxiety about losing semen (spermatorrhea); some general dictionaries give a germs sense instead. Also spermophobia.
Spermophobia	semen or its loss; some dictionaries give germs	Variant of spermatophobia; the germs sense comes from general dictionaries only.
Spheksophobia	wasps	Animal-type specific-phobia term.
Spotligectophobia	being stared at	Rare variant listed with scopophobia and ophthalmophobia.
Stasibasiphobia	standing or walking	Also stasiphobia.
Stasiphobia	standing or walking	Rare term; overlaps with basophobia.
Staurophobia	crosses or the crucifix	—
Stenophobia	narrow things or places	—
Stygiophobia	hell	Also hadephobia.
Submechanophobia	submerged human-made objects	Modern coinage, e.g., sunken ships, underwater statues, or buoys.
Suriphobia	mice or rats	Rare synonym of musophobia.
Symbolophobia	symbolism	—
Symmetrophobia	symmetry	Rare lexicographic term.
Syngenesophobia	relatives or family members	Rare lexicographic term.
Syphilophobia	syphilis	—

T

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Tachophobia	speed or moving fast	Rare situational-phobia term.
Taeniophobia	tapeworms	Also teniophobia.
Taphephobia	being buried alive or graves	Variant of taphophobia.
Taphophobia	being buried alive or of cemeteries	Also taphephobia.
Tapinophobia	being contagious	—
Taurophobia	bulls	—
Technophobia	technology, especially advanced or unfamiliar technology	Can denote fear, aversion, or resistance rather than a clinical disorder.
Teleophobia	definite plans; religious ceremony	—
Telephonophobia	making or receiving telephone calls	Named form of telephone phobia.
Teratophobia	monsters, malformed beings, or giving birth to a malformed child	Historical medical and psychological term; definitions vary.
Terdekaphobia	the number 13	Rare synonym of triskaidekaphobia.
Testophobia	taking tests	—
Tetanophobia	lockjaw or tetanus	—
Tetraphobia	the number four	Culturally significant in several East Asian societies.
Teutophobia	Germany or German things	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis. Compare Germanophobia.
Textophobia	certain fabrics	—
Thaasophobia	sitting	—
Thalassophobia	the sea, deep water, or large bodies of water	Natural-environment specific-phobia term.
Thanatophobia	death or dying	Also called death anxiety; distinct from necrophobia.
Theatrophobia	theaters	—
Theologicophobia	theology	—
Theophobia	God, gods, or religion	Can mean a personal fear or a sociocultural aversion; not a single standardized diagnosis.
Thermophobia	heat or high temperatures	Can mean psychiatric fear, heat intolerance, or biological avoidance of heat.
Thixophobia	touching objects	Rare popular term; compare haphephobia (being touched).
Tocophobia	pregnancy or childbirth	Also tokophobia; recognized clinical entity.
Tokophobia	pregnancy or childbirth	Clinically studied; also spelled tocophobia.
Tomophobia	surgical operations or medical procedures	Clinically reported medical-procedure phobia.
Tonitrophobia	thunder	Related to astraphobia and brontophobia.
Topophobia	certain places or situations, such as stage fright	—
Toxicophobia	poison or being poisoned	Variant of toxiphobia.
Toxiphobia	poison or being poisoned	Also called toxophobia or iophobia.
Toxophobia	poison or being poisoned	Variant of toxiphobia.
Transphobia	transgender or nonbinary people or gender diversity	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, discrimination, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Traumatophobia	injury or being injured	Also called injury phobia.
Tremophobia	trembling	—
Trichinophobia	trichinosis	—
Trichopathophobia	hair disorders	—
Trichophobia	hair, hair loss, or abnormal beliefs concerning hair	Meaning varies; in dermatology it may refer to a delusional belief.
Triskaidekaphobia	the number 13	Well-established dictionary term; Greek treiskaideka '13'.
Tropophobia	moving or making changes	—
Trypanophobia	injections or hypodermic needles	Recognized specific phobia; also called needle phobia.
Trypophobia	clusters of small holes or bumps	Popular term; not a formally recognized diagnosis.
Tuberculophobia	tuberculosis	—
Turcophobia	Turkey, Turkish people, or Turkish culture	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Turophobia	cheese	Popular food-related phobia term; not a formal diagnosis.
Tyrannophobia	tyrants	—

U

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Ukrainophobia	Ukraine, Ukrainians, or Ukrainian culture	Sociocultural term for prejudice, aversion, or hostility; not a clinical diagnosis.
Uranophobia	heaven, the sky, or the afterlife	Rare religious or natural-environment fear term.
Urophobia	urine or urinating	—

V

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Vaccinophobia	vaccines or vaccination	Medical-procedure fear term; may contribute to vaccine avoidance.
Vehophobia	driving	Modern synonym of driving phobia.
Veloxrotaphobia	roller coasters	Rare popular term; not a formal diagnosis.
Venereophobia	sexually transmitted infections	Also cypridophobia.
Venustraphobia	beautiful women	Humorous coinage; not a standard clinical term.
Verbophobia	words	—
Verminophobia	germs, contamination, or vermin	Often treated as a synonym of mysophobia or germophobia.
Vermiphobia	worms	Related to helminthophobia and scoleciphobia.
Vestiphobia	clothing or being clothed	Rare lexicographic term.
Virginitiphobia	rape	—
Vitricophobia	one's stepfather	—

W

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Walloonphobia	Walloons	Sociocultural curiosity term found in older dictionaries; not a clinical diagnosis.
Wiccaphobia	witches and witchcraft	—

X

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Xanthophobia	the color yellow	Rare color-phobia term.
Xenoglossophobia	foreign languages	—
Xenophobia	foreigners, strangers, or things perceived as foreign	Usually a sociocultural term for prejudice or hostility; not generally a clinical diagnosis.
Xerophobia	dryness or dry places such as deserts	—
Xylophobia	wood, wooden objects, or forests	Rare term; may overlap with hylophobia.
Xyrophobia	razors	—

Z

Phobia	Fear of	Notes
Zelophobia	jealousy or of strong emotion	—
Zemmiphobia	the great mole rat	Novelty/curiosity term.
Zeusophobia	God or gods	—
Zoophobia	animals	Broad animal-type specific-phobia term.
Zuigerphobia	vacuum cleaners	Rare popular term, especially associated with childhood fear.

How phobia names are built

Almost every name joins a Greek (sometimes Latin) root for the feared thing to the Greek phobos, “fear”: arachne (spider) makes arachnophobia, hydor (water) makes hydrophobia, and the Latin claustrum (an enclosed place) makes claustrophobia. Numbers get the same treatment, so triskaideka (thirteen) gives triskaidekaphobia. Because the roots combine freely, one fear often has several names: the fear of the dark appears here as achluophobia, nyctophobia, lygophobia and scotophobia.

A few of these words carry older medical meanings beside the modern “fear of” sense. Hydrophobia was long a name for rabies, because the disease makes swallowing water painful, and photophobia and phonophobia are, in medicine, sensitivities to light and sound rather than fears.

For the urges and crazes that mirror many of these fears, see the List of Manias.

Frequently asked questions

What is a phobia?

A phobia is an intense, persistent fear of a particular object, situation or activity that is out of proportion to any real danger. In clinical use, a specific phobia is an anxiety disorder: meeting the trigger reliably brings on fear or anxiety, and the person avoids it or endures it with distress.

What is the most common phobia?

Fears of particular animals, above all arachnophobia (spiders), are among the most common, along with acrophobia (heights) and claustrophobia (enclosed spaces). Surveys differ in their order, but animal, height and enclosed-space phobias rank near the top in study after study.

What is the fear of long words called?

Sesquipedalophobia. The joke form, hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia, was built to be as long and daunting as the fear it names; neither word is a clinical diagnosis.

Are words like homophobia and xenophobia really phobias?

Not in the medical sense. Xenophobia, homophobia, Islamophobia and similar words use the “-phobia” ending to name a prejudice, aversion or hostility toward a group of people, not an anxiety disorder; every such term on this page is labeled a sociocultural term.

What is the fear of the number 13 called?

Triskaidekaphobia, from the Greek treiskaideka (thirteen) and phobos (fear). The fear of the number 666 is hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia, and the fear of Friday the 13th is paraskevidekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia.

Can phobias be treated?

Yes. Specific phobias are among the most treatable anxiety disorders, and exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy, in which a person meets the feared thing gradually and safely, is the best-supported approach. This page explains the words and is not medical advice.

GK Encyclopedia

Explore all general-knowledge topics and the A-to-Z lists.

List of Phobias

What counts as a phobia

“-phobia” words that mean prejudice, not fear

Phobias and the Fears They Name

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Z

How phobia names are built

Frequently asked questions

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