Glossary
A–Z phobia glossary
Every phobia name on this site with what it means. Each entry is labeled as a recognized phobia, an informal term, a rare or disputed word, or a joke.
A
- Ablutophobia
- Fear of bathing, showering, or washing Common informal term
- Acrophobia
- Fear of heights and high places Specific phobia
- Aibohphobia
- Fear of palindromes, words or phrases that read the same backwards Fictional or humorous term
- Ailurophobia
- Fear of cats Common informal term
- Alektorophobia
- Fear of chickens, hens, and roosters Specific phobia
- Amaxophobia
- Fear of driving or riding in vehicles Specific phobia
- Anatidaephobia
- Fear of being watched by a duck Fictional or humorous term
- Anuptaphobia
- Fear of being single, staying single, or never finding a partner Rare or disputed term
- Aquaphobia
- Fear of water Specific phobia
- Arachibutyrophobia
- Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth Fictional or humorous term
- Arachnophobia
- Fear of spiders and spider-related situations Specific phobia
- Arithmophobia
- Fear of numbers Common informal term
- Astraphobia
- Fear of thunder and lightning Specific phobia
- Automatonophobia
- Fear of humanlike figures such as mannequins, wax figures, statues, ventriloquist dummies, animatronics, and robots Common informal term
C
- Cherophobia
- Fear of being happy, or the bad luck some people believe will follow happiness Common informal term
- Chiclephobia
- Fear of chewing gum, including seeing others chew it or finding used gum Rare or disputed term
- Chronophobia
- Fear of time passing Rare or disputed term
- Claustrophobia
- Fear of confined or enclosed spaces Specific phobia
- Coulrophobia
- Fear of clowns Common informal term
- Cynophobia
- Fear of dogs Specific phobia
D
- Decidophobia
- Fear of making decisions Common informal term
- Dentophobia
- Fear of dentists or dental treatment Specific phobia
E
- Eisoptrophobia
- Fear of mirrors, reflections, or what might appear in them Rare or disputed term
- Emetophobia
- Fear of vomiting or seeing someone else vomit Specific phobia
- Entomophobia
- Fear of insects Specific phobia
- Ephebiphobia
- Fear of teenagers and young people Rare or disputed term
- Ergophobia
- Fear of work or the workplace, including going to work or even thinking about it Common informal term
F
- Fear of flying
- Fear of flying in an airplane Specific phobia
G
- Gelotophobia
- Fear of being laughed at Common informal term
- Gephyrophobia
- Fear of crossing bridges, especially high or long ones Specific phobia
- Globophobia
- Fear of balloons, especially the sound of them popping Common informal term
- Glossophobia
- Fear of public speaking Common informal term
H
- Hemophobia
- Fear of blood Specific phobia
- Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia
- Fear of the number 666 Rare or disputed term
- Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia
- Fear of long words Fictional or humorous term
I
- Iatrophobia
- Fear of doctors and medical visits Specific phobia
K
- Kinemortophobia
- Fear of zombies and the idea of the walking dead Rare or disputed term
- Koumpounophobia
- Fear of buttons, especially on clothing Common informal term
L
- Lachanophobia
- Fear of vegetables Rare or disputed term
- Lutraphobia
- Fear of otters Rare or disputed term
M
- Megalophobia
- Fear of very large objects, structures, or creatures Common informal term
- Mysophobia
- Fear of germs and contamination Common informal term
N
- Nomophobia
- Fear of being without a mobile phone or unable to use it Common informal term
- Nosocomephobia
- Fear of hospitals Specific phobia
- Nyctophobia
- Fear of the dark Specific phobia
O
- Omphalophobia
- Fear of belly buttons Common informal term
- Ophidiophobia
- Fear of snakes Specific phobia
- Ornithophobia
- Fear of birds Specific phobia
P
- Papaphobia
- Fear of the Pope Rare or disputed term
- Pediophobia
- Fear of dolls Common informal term
- Phasmophobia
- Fear of ghosts, spirits, and other supernatural presences Common informal term
- Philophobia
- Fear of falling in love or emotional attachment Common informal term
- Pogonophobia
- Fear of beards and facial hair Rare or disputed term
- Pteronophobia
- Fear of feathers (often listed as fear of being tickled by feathers) Rare or disputed term
S
- Samhainophobia
- Fear of halloween and the things tied to it, such as costumes, haunted houses, and trick-or-treating Rare or disputed term
- Scopophobia
- Fear of being stared at, watched, or looked at by other people Common informal term
- Submechanophobia
- Fear of man-made objects that are partly or fully underwater Common informal term
T
- Taphophobia
- Fear of being buried alive after being wrongly declared dead Rare or disputed term
- Telephobia
- Fear of making or answering phone calls Common informal term
- Tetraphobia
- Fear of the number 4, especially in addresses, floors, phone numbers, and dates Common informal term
- Thalassophobia
- Fear of deep bodies of water, such as the open ocean Common informal term
- Thanatophobia
- Fear of death or the dying process Common informal term
- Triskaidekaphobia
- Fear of the number 13 Common informal term
- Trypanophobia
- Fear of needles in medical procedures Specific phobia
- Trypophobia
- Fear of clusters of small holes or bumps Common informal term
- Turophobia
- Fear of cheese Specific phobia
V
- Venustraphobia
- Fear of beautiful or very attractive women Rare or disputed term
X
- Xanthophobia
- Fear of the color yellow Rare or disputed term
Z
- Zuigerphobia
- Fear of vacuum cleaners, especially their noise Rare or disputed term