List of phobias

Template:Table Suffixes The English suffixes -phobia, -phobic, -phobe of Greek origin are technically used in psychiatry to construct words that describe irrational, disabling fear as a mental disorder (e.g., agoraphobia) and in biology to descibe organisms that dislike certain conditions (e.g., acidophobia). In common language they are also used in words that describe dislike or hatred of a particular thing or subject.

The suffix "-phobia" is commonly misused in application to mild or irrational fears with no serious substance; however, earlier senses relate to psychiatry which studies serious phobias which disable a person's life. For more information on the psychiatric side of this, including how psychiatry groups phobias as "agoraphobia", "social phobia", or "simple phobia", see phobia.

The following list includes words ending in -phobia, or a list of fears that have been given names. In many cases people have coined these words as neologisms, and only a few of them occur in the medical literature. In many cases, the naming of phobias has become a word game.

Most of these terms tack the suffix -phobia onto a Greek word for the object of the fear (some use a combination of a Latin root with the Greek suffix, which many classicists consider linguistically impure).

Some regard any attempt to create a list of phobias as an irrational endeavor because, theoretically, a person could become conditioned to have a fear of anything. Also, a significant number of unscrupulous psychiatric websites exist that at the first glance cover a huge number of phobias, but in fact use a standard text (see an example below) to fit any phobia and reuse it for all unusual phobias by merely changing the name. For a couple of striking examples.

"... Poor performance or grades. Promotions that pass you by. moths phobia will likely cost you tens, even hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of your lifetime, let alone the cost to your health and quality of life. Now Moths Phobia can be gone for less than the price of a round-trip airline ticket."

"... The expert phobia team at CTRN's Phobia Clinic is board-certified to help with Russophobia and a variety of related problems. The success rate of our 24 hour program is close to 100%"

Standard "-phobia" description template

<Something>phobia means "fear of <something>".

The condition often significantly impacts the quality of life. It can cause panic attacks and keep people apart from loved ones and business associates. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, rapid breathing, irregular heartbeat, sweating, nausea, and overall feelings of dread, although everyone experiences kakorrhaphiophobia in their own way and may have different symptoms.

Though a variety of potent drugs are often prescribed for <something>phobia, side effects and/or withdrawal symptoms can be severe. Moreover, drugs do not "cure" <something>phobia. At best they temporarily suppress the symptoms through chemical interaction.

Like other phobias, <something>phobia is created by the unconscious mind as a protective mechanism. At some point in your past, there was likely an event linking failure or defeat and emotional trauma. Whilst the original catalyst may have been a real-life scare of some kind, the condition can also be triggered by myriad, benign events like movies, TV, or perhaps seeing someone else experience trauma.

The actual phobia manifests itself in different ways. Some sufferers experience it almost all the time, others just in response to direct stimuli. Everyone has their own unique formula for when and how to feel bad.

A

Ablutophobia - Fear of washing or bathing.
Acarophobia - Fear of itching or of insects whose bites cause itching.
Acerophobia - Fear of sourness.
Acidophobia - Preference of non-acidic conditions
Achluophobia, Lygophobia, Nyctophobia, Scotophobia - Fear of darkness.
Acousticophobia- Fear of noise.
Acrophobia, Altophobia - Fear of heights.
Aerophobia - Fear of drafts, air swallowing or airborne noxious substances.
Afrophobia, fear or dislike of Africans or African culture or people of African ancestry
Agateophobia, Dementophobia, Maniaphobia - Fear of insanity.
Agliophobia, Algophobia, Odynophobia, Odynephobia - Fear of pain.
Agoraphobia - Fear of the outdoors, crowds or uncontrolled social conditions.
Agraphobia, Contreltophobia - Fear of sexual abuse.
Agyrophobia, Dromophobia - Fear of streets or crossing the street.
Aichmophobia, Belonephobia, Enetophobia - Fear of needles or pointed objects.
Ailurophobia, Elurophobia, Felinophobia, Galeophobia, Gatophobia - Fear of cats.
Alliumphobia - the abnormal fear of garlic that may extend to a variety of plants characterized by their pungent odor including onions, leeks, chives, and shallots. Allium is the onion genus.
Amathophobia, Koniophobia - Fear of dust.
Amaxophobia - Fear of riding in a car.
Ambulophobia, Stasibasiphobia, Stasiphobia - Fear of walking or standing.
Amerophobia, Columbophobia - Fear of the United States, American culture, etc.
Amnesiphobia - Fear of amnesia.
Amychophobia - Fear of scratches or being scratched.
Anatidaephobia - Fear that somewhere, somehow, a duck is watching you (fictional, from a Gary Larson cartoon published in The Far Side Gallery, 4).
Ancraophobia, Anemophobia - Fear of wind.
Androphobia, Arrhenphobia, Hominophobia - Fear of men.
Anemophobia - Fear of air drafts.
Anginophobia - Fear of angina, choking or narrowness.
Anglophobia - Fear/dislike of England, English culture, etc.
Ankylophobia - Fear of immobility of a joint.
Anthrophobia, Anthophobia - Fear of flowers.
Anthropophobia - Fear of people or society.
Antlophobia - Fear of floods.
Anuptaphobia - Fear of staying single.
Aphenphosmphobia, Chiraptophobia, Haphephobia, Haptephobia - Fear of being touched.
Apiphobia, Melissaphobia, Melissophobia - Fear of bees.
Apotemnophobia - Fear/dislike of persons with amputations.
Aquaphobia, Hydrophobia - Fear of water, specifically the morbid fear of drowning.
Arcanophobia - Fear of magic
Arachnophobia - Fear of spiders.
Arithmophobia - Fear/dislike of numbers.
Arsonphobia, Pyrophobia - Fear of fire.
Asthenophobia - Fear of fainting or weakness.
Astraphobia, Astrapophobia, Brontophobia, Keraunophobia - Fear of thunder and lightning. It is especially common in young children.
Astrophobia - Fear of stars and celestial space.
Ataxophobia - Fear of disorder or untidiness.
Athazagoraphobia - Fear of being forgotten, ignored or forgetting.
Atychiphobia, Kakorrhaphiophobia - Fear of failure.
Atelophobia-fear of imperfection
Autodysomophobia - Fear that one has a vile odour.
Automysophobia - Fear of being dirty.
Autophobia, Eremophobia, Ermitophobia, Isolophobia, Monophobia - Fear of being alone or fear of oneself.
Aviophobia, Aviatophobia, Pteromerhanophobia - Fear of flying.

B

Bacillophobia, Bacteriophobia, Microbiophobia - Fear of microbes, bacteria.
Barophobia - Fear of loss of gravity.
Basophobia, Basiphobia - Fear of walking or falling.
Bathmophobia - Fear of stairs or steep slopes.
Bathophobia - Fear of depth.
Batophobia - Fear of heights or of being close to high buildings.
Batrachophobia - Fear of amphibians.
Belonephobia - Fear of needles.
Bibliophobia - Fear/dislike of books.
Blennophobia, Myxophobia - Fear of slime.
Bromidrosiphobia, Bromidrophobia - Dislike of body odours.
Brontophobia, Tonitrophobia - Fear of thunder.

C

Cacophobia - Fear of ugliness.
Cainophobia, Cainotophobia, Cenophobia, Centophobia, Kainolophobia, Kainophobia, Neophobia - Fear of newness, novelty.
Caligynephobia, Venustraphobia - Fear of beautiful women.
Cancerophobia, Carcinophobia - Fear of cancer.
Carbophobia - Fear of carbohydrates.
Cardiophobia - Fear of heart disease.
Catagelophobia, Katagelophobia - Fear of being ridiculed.
Catoptrophobia - Fear of mirrors.
Cenophobia - Fear of empty rooms.
Chaetophobia, Trichopathophobia, Trichophobia, Hypertrichophobia - Fear of hair.
Cheimaphobia, Cheimatophobia, Psychrophobia - Fear of cold.
Chemophobia - Fear of chemicals or working with chemicals.
Chionophobia - Fear of snow.
Christophobia - Fear/dislike of Christianity
Chrometophobia, Chrematophobia - Fear of money.
Chromophobia, Chromatophobia - Fear of colours.
Chronophobia - Fear of time.
Cibophobia, Sitophobia, Sitiophobia - Fear of food.
Claustrophobia - Fear of confined spaces.
Cleithrophobia, Cleisiophobia - Fear of being locked in an enclosed place.
Cleptophobia, Kleptophobia - Fear of stealing.
Climacophobia - Fear of stairs or of climbing or falling down stairs.
Clinophobia - Fear of going to bed.
Clithrophobia, Cleithrophobia - Fear of being enclosed.
Cometophobia - Fear of comets.
Coprastasophobia - Fear of constipation.
Coprophobia, Fecophobia, Scatophobia - Fear of feces.
Coulrophobia - Fear of clowns.
Counterphobia - The preference by a phobic person for fearful situations.
Cremnophobia - Fear of precipices.
Cryophobia - Fear of extreme cold, ice or frost.
Crystallophobia - Fear of crystals or glass.
Cymophobia, Kymophobia - Fear of waves or wave-like motions.
Cynophobia - Fear of dogs or rabies.
Cypridophobia, Cypriphobia, Cyprianophobia, Cyprinophobia - Fear of prostitutes or venereal disease.

D

Demonophobia, Daemonophobia - Fear of demons.
Demophobia, Enochlophobia, Ochlophobia - Fear of crowds.
Dendrophobia - Fear of trees.
Dentophobia - Fear of dentists and dental procedures.
Dermatosiophobia, Dermatophobia, Dermatopathophobia - Fear of skin disease.
Didaskaleinophobia, Scolionophobia - Fear of going to school.
Dikephobia - Fear of justice.
Dinophobia - Fear of dizziness or whirlpools.
Diplophobia - Fear of double vision.
Dipsophobia - Fear of drinking.
Domatophobia, Eicophobia, Oikophobia - Fear of houses or being in a house.
Doraphobia - Fear of fur or the skins of animals.
Doxophobia - Fear of expressing opinions or receiving praise.
Dysmorphophobia - Fear of deformity.
Dystychiphobia - Fear of accidents.

E

Ecclesiophobia - Fear of church.
Eisoptrophobia - Fear of mirrors or of seeing oneself in a mirror.
Electrophobia - Fear of electricity.
Eleutherophobia - Fear of freedom.
Emetophobia - Fear of vomiting.
Enetophobia - Fear of pins.
Enosiophobia, Enissophobia - Fear of having committed an unpardonable sin or of criticism.
Entomophobia, Insectophobia - Fear of insects. (Also the orchid genus Entomophobia)
Eosophobia - Fear of dawn or daylight.
Ephebiphobia - Fear of teenagers.
Epistemophobia, Gnosiophobia - Fear of knowledge.
Epistolophobia - Fear/dislike of writing letters
Equinophobia, Hippophobia - Fear of horses.
Ereuthrophobia, Erythrophobia, Erytophobia - Fear of blushing, red lights, or the colour red.
Ergasiophobia - Fear of work or functioning, or a surgeon's fear of operating.
Ergophobia - Fear of work.
Ermitophobia - Fear of being alone, loneliness.
Erotophobia - Fear of sexual love or sexual questions.
Erythrophobia - Fear of blushing or the color red.
Europhobia - Fear of Europe, Europeans, or alternatively, the European Union.

F

Fecophobia, Coprophobia, Scatophobia - Fear/dislike of feces.
Francophobia, Gallophobia, Galiophobia - Fear/dislike of France, French culture, etc.

G

Gamophobia - Fear of marriage.
Gatophobia - Fear of cats.
Gephyrophobia, Gephydrophobia, Gephyrdrophobia, Gephysrophobia - Fear of crossing bridges.
Gerascophobia - Fear of growing old.
Germanophobia, Teutophobia - Fear/dislike of Germany, German culture, etc.
Gerontophobia - Fear of old people or of growing old.
Glossophobia - Fear of speaking in public or of trying to speak.
Graphophobia - Fear/dislike of writing or handwriting.
Gymnophobia, Nudophobia - Fear of nudity.
Gynephobia, Gynophobia - Fear of women.

H

Hadephobia, Stygiophobia, Stigiophobia - Fear of hell.
Haemophobia - Fear of blood and bleeding.
Hagiophobia - Fear of saints or holy things.
Hamartophobia, Peccatophobia - Fear of sinning.
Haptophobia - Fear of being touched.
Harpaxophobia - Fear of being robbed.
Hedonophobia - Fear of feeling pleasure.
Heliophobia - Fear of the sun.
Helminthophobia - Fear of being infested with worms.
Hemophobia, Hemaphobia, Hematophobia - Fear of blood or bleeding.
Herpetophobia - Fear of reptiles or amphibians.
Heterophobia, Sexophobia - Fear of the opposite sex.
Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia - Fear of the number 666.
Hierophobia - Fear of priests or sacred things.
Hippophobia - Fear of horses.
Hodophobia - Fear of road travel.
Hormephobia - Fear of shock.
Homichlophobia, Nebulaphobia - Fear of fog.
Homilophobia - Fear of sermons.
Homophobia - Fear of sameness, monotony, homosexuality or of becoming homosexual.
Hydrophobia - Fear of water, a symptom of rabies.
Hydrophobophobia, Kynophobia - Fear of rabies.
Hyelophobia, Hyalophobia, Nelophobia - Fear of glass.
Hygrophobia - Fear of liquids, dampness, or moisture.
Hylophobia - Fear of forests.
Hypegiaphobia, Hypengyophobia - Fear of responsibility.
Hypnophobia - Fear of sleep or of being hypnotized.
Hypsiphobia - Fear of height.

I

Iatrophobia - Fear of going to the doctor or of doctors.
Ichthyophobia - Fear of fish.
Iconophobia - Fear of images or icons.
Iophobia - Fear of poison or fear of rust.
Islamophobia - Fear or hatred of Islam.

J

Japanophobia - Fear or hatred of the Japanese.
Judeophobia - Fear or hatred of Jews.

K

Kainophobia - Fear of novelty
Kenophobia - Fear of voids or empty spaces.
Keraunophobia - Fear of lightning.
Kinetophobia, Kinesophobia - Fear of movement or motion.
Kolpophobia - Fear of genitals, particularly female.
Kopophobia - Fear of fatigue.

L

Lachanophobia - Fear of vegetables.
Laliophobia, Lalophobia - Fear of speaking.
Leprophobia, Lepraphobia - Fear of leprosy.
Leukophobia or leucophobia - Fear of the colour white.
Librophobia - Fear of having to balance.
Ligyrophobia - Fear of loud noises.
Lockiophobia, Maieusiophobia, Parturiphobia - Fear of childbirth.
Logophobia - Fear of words or of speaking.
Lyssophobia - Fear of rabies or of becoming insane.

M

Maniaphobia - Fear of going insane.
Mastigophobia, Poinephobia - Fear of punishment.
Mechanophobia - Fear of machines.
Medomalacuphobia - Fear of losing an erection.
Megalophobia - Fear of large objects.
Melanophobia - Fear of the colour black.
Melophobia - Fear or hatred of music.
Meningitophobia - Fear of brain disease.
Menophobia - Fear of menstruation.
Merinthophobia - Fear of being bound or tied up.
Metallophobia - Fear of metal.
Metathesiophobia - Fear of changes.
Metrophobia - Fear or hatred of poetry.
Misophobia, Molysmophobia, Molysomophobia, Mysophobia, Verminophobia - Fear of being contaminated with dirt or germs.
Mnemophobia - Fear of memories.
Monophobia - Fear of being alone, or of feeling alone.
Mottephobia - Fear of moths and butterflies.
Musophobia, Murophobia, Suriphobia - Fear of mice and/or rats.
Mycophobia - Fear or aversion to mushrooms.
Myrmecophobia - Fear of ants.
Mysophobia - Fear of dirt.
Mythophobia - Fear of myths, stories or false statements.

N

Necrophobia - Fear of death or dead things.
Neophobia - Fear of the new.
Nephophobia - Fear of clouds.
Noctiphobia - Fear of the night.
Nosophobia, Nosemaphobia - Fear of becoming ill.
Nostophobia - Fear of returning home.
Numerophobia - Fear of numbers.
Nyctophobia - Fear of the dark, of night or of nightfall.

O

Obesophobia, Pocrescophobia - Fear of gaining weight.
Ochophobia - Fear of vehicles.
Odontophobia - Fear of teeth or dental surgery.
Oenophobia - Fear of wine.
Oicophobia - Fear of houses.
Olfactophobia, Osmophobia, Osphresiophobia - Fear of smells.
Ombrophobia, Pluviophobia - Fear of rain or of being rained on.
Oneirophobia - Fear of dreams.
Ophidiophobia - Fear of snakes.
Ornithophobia - Fear of birds.
Ortographobia - Fear of spelling mistakes.
Orthophobia - Fear of property.
Ouranophobia, Uranophobia - Fear of heaven.

P

Pagophobia - Fear of ice or frost.
Panthophobia - Fear of suffering and disease.
Papyrophobia - Fear of paper.
Paralipophobia - Fear of neglecting duty or responsibility.
Parasitophobia - Fear of parasites.
Paraskavedekatriaphobia - Fear of Friday the 13th.
Parthenophobia - Fear of virgins or young girls.
Pathophobia - Fear of disease.
Pediculophobia, Phthiriophobia - Fear of lice.
Pediphobia, Pedophobia - Fear/dislike of children.
Peniaphobia - Fear of poverty.
Phagophobia - Fear of swallowing, eating or of being eaten.
Pharmacophobia - Fear of taking medicine.
Phasmophobia, Spectrophobia - Fear of ghosts.
Phengophobia - Fear of daylight or sunshine.
Philophobia - Fear of falling in love or being in love.
Photophobia - Fear of light (also refers to aversion to light due to an inflamed/painful eye or excessively dilated pupils)
Phonophobia - Fear of noises, voices, one's own voice or of telephones.
Placophobia - Fear of tombstones.
Plutophobia - Fear/dislike of wealth.
Pnigophobia, Pnigerophobia - Fear of choking or being smothered.
Pogonophobia, Pognophobia - Fear of beards.
Politicophobia - Fear/dislike of politicians.
Polonophobia - Hatred of Poles.
Polyphobia - Having many phobias.
Ponophobia - Fear of overworking or of pain.
Potamophobia - Fear of rivers or running water.
Pharmacophobia - Fear of drugs.
Psellismophobia - Fear of stuttering.
Pyrophobia - Fear of fire.

R

Radiophobia - Fear of radiation or X-rays.
Rhabdophobia - Fear of being severely punished or beaten with a rod, or of being severely criticized. Also fear of magic.
Rhinophobia - Fear of noses.
Rhodophobia - Fear of the colour red.
Rhypophobia - Fear of defecation.
Rhytiphobia - Fear of getting wrinkles.
Rupophobia - Fear of dirt.
Russophobia - A phobic attitude towards Russia or Russians.

S

Scatophobia, Fecophobia, Coprophobia - Fear of feces.
Sciophobia, Sciaphobia - Fear of shadows.
Scoleciphobia, Vermiphobia - Fear of worms.
Scopophobia, Scoptophobia - Fear of being seen or stared at.
Scriptophobia - Fear of writing in public.
Sedatephobia - Fear of silence.
Selaphobia - Fear of light flashes.
Selenophobia - Fear of the moon.
Seplophobia - Fear of decaying matter.
Siderophobia - Fear of stars.
Sitophobia - Fear of food.
Sinophobia - Fear/dislike of the Chinese, Chinese culture, etc.
Soceraphobia - Fear of parents-in-law.
Sociophobia - Fear of society or people in general.
Somniphobia - Fear of sleep.
Sophophobia - Fear of learning.
Soteriophobia - Fear of dependence on others.
Spectrophobia - Fear of mirrors.
Staurophobia - Fear of crosses or crucifixes.
Stenophobia - Fear of narrow things or places.
Stephanophobia - Fear of crowns
Suriphobia - Fear of mice.
Symmetrophobia - Fear of symmetry.
Syngenesophobia - Fear of relatives.

T

Tachophobia - Fear of speed.
Taphephobia, Taphophobia - Fear of being buried alive or of cemeteries.
Tapinophobia - Fear of being contagious.
Taurophobia - Fear of bulls.
Technophobia - Fear of technology.
Teleophobia - Fear of definite plans or of religious ceremony.
Teratophobia - Fear of bearing a deformed child, of monsters or of deformed people.
Terdekaphobia - Fear of the number 13.
Thalassophobia - Fear of the sea.
Thanatophobia, Thantophobia - Fear of death or dying.
Theatrophobia - Fear of theatres.
Theologicophobia - Fear of theology.
Theophobia - Fear of gods or religion.
Thermophobia - Fear of heat.
Tocophobia - Fear of pregnancy or childbirth.
Tomophobia - Fear of surgical operations.
Topophobia - Fear of certain places or situations, such as stage fright.
Toxiphobia, Toxophobia, Toxicophobia - Fear of poison or of being accidentally poisoned.
Traumatophobia - Fear of injury.
Trichinophobia - Fear of trichinosis.
Triskaidekaphobia - Fear of the number 13. Having a superstition.
Tropophobia - Fear of moving or making changes.
Trypanophobia - Fear of injections.
Trypophobia - Fear of holes.

U

Uranophobia - Fear of the heavens.
Urophobia - Fear of urine or the act of urinating.

V

Venustraphobia - Fear of beautiful women.
Vestiphobia - Fear of clothing.

W

Wiccaphobia - Fear of witches and witchcraft.

X

Xenophobia - Fear of strangers, foreigners, or aliens.
Xerophobia - Fear/dislike of dryness.
Xylophobia - Fear of wooden objects or fear of forests.

Z

Zoophobia - Fear of animals.

External link

About.com's complete list of phobias