Corrected List of Phobias
This list below probably does not solve all the problems of previous lists. Some of the misconstructions and misspellings have permeated the English-speaking world to such an extent it is probably impossible to correct them. We have tried to draw a line between these and the correctables. For a longer discussion of what we have done, click here.
A person possessed of a phobia is a -phobe, e.g. acrophobe, claustrophobe, Russophobe. The adjective describing these conditions is -phobic, e.g. acrophobic, claustrophobic, Russophobic. You may convert the adjectives into adverbs by simply adding -al-ly.
| For a list of corresponding philias, click here |
| For a list of corresponding manias, click here |
| To take the alphaDictionary Phobias Test, click here. |
| Phobia | Obsessive Fear of |
| • A • | |
| abibliophobia | being without books |
| ablutophobia | washing or bathing |
| acarophobia | itching |
| acerophobia | sourness or sour things |
| achluophobia | darkness |
| acousticophobia | noise |
| acrophobia | heights, high places |
| aeroacrophobia | open high places |
| aeronauseophobia | airsickness |
| aerophobia | air or drafts |
| agateophobia | insanity |
| agoraphobia | open or public places |
| agathophobia | kindness |
| agriozoophobia | wild animals |
| agyrophobia | streets or crossing them |
| aichmophobia | sharp or pointed objects |
| ailurophobia | cats |
| albuminurophobia | albumen in the urine or kidney disease |
| alektorophobia | roosters or chickens |
| algophobia | pain |
| alliophobia | garlic (Latinized; see scorodophobia) |
| allodoxaphobia | different opinions |
| altophobia | heights, high places (Latinized; see acrophobia) |
| amathophobia | dust |
| amaxophobia | riding in a car or wagon |
| ambulophobia | walking |
| amnesiophobia | forgetting |
| amychophobia | being scratched |
| anablephobia | looking up |
| androphobia | men |
| anemophobia | wind or drafts |
| anginophobia | angina, choking tightness |
| Anglophobia | things English |
| ankylophobia | immobility of a joint |
| anthophobia | flowers |
| anthropophobia | people or society |
| antlophobia | floods |
| anuptophobia | staying single |
| apeirophobia | infinity |
| aphenophobia | riches, wealth |
| apiophobia | bees |
| apotemnophobia | persons with amputations |
| arachibutyrophobia | peanut butter sticking in your mouth |
| arachnephobia | spiders (See also arachnophobia) |
| arachnophobia | spiders (See also arachnephobia) |
| arithmophobia | numbers |
| astrophobia | stars or celestial space |
| asymmetrophobia | asymmetrical things |
| ataxiophobia | loss of muscular coordination |
| ataxophobia | disorder or untidiness |
| atelophobia | imperfection |
| atephobia | ruin or ruins |
| athazagoraphobia | forgetfulness or being forgotton |
| atomosophobia | atomic explosions |
| atychiphobia | failure or misfortune |
| augophobia | bright lights, glare, sunlight |
| aulophobia | flutes |
| aurophobia | gold |
| aurorophobia | the Northern Lights |
| autodysomophobia | bad odors or people with them |
| automatonophobia | automatons |
| automysophobia | being dirty |
| autophobia | solitude, being alone |
| aviatophobia | flying (See also aviophobia) |
| aviophobia | flying (See also aviatophobia) |
| • B • | |
| bacillophobia | microbes |
| bacteriophobia | bacteria |
| ballistophobia | missiles, including bullets |
| barophobia | gravity |
| basiphobia | falling or being unable to stand |
| bathyphobia | depth or deep water |
| batrachophobia | amphibians, such as frogs |
| Beatlephobia | The Beatles |
| belonephobia | sharp, pointed objects (See also aichmophobia) |
| bibliophobia | books |
| biophobia | nature |
| blennophobia | slime |
| blogoophobia | blogs, writing them |
| Bolshephobia | Bolsheviks |
| botanophobia | plants |
| bromidrophobia | body smells (Questionable; see also bromidrosiphobia) |
| bromidrosiphobia | body smells (Questionable; see also bromidrophobia) |
| brontophobia | thunder and lightning |
| bufonophobia | toads |
| • C • | |
| cacophobia | ugliness |
| cainophobia | newness, novelty, change (See also cainotophobia) |
| cainotophobia | newness, novelty, change (See also cainophobia) |
| caligynephobia | beautiful women |
| cancerophobia | cancer (Better: carcinophobia) |
| carcinophobia | cancer (Preferable to cancerophobia) |
| cardiophobia | heart, the |
| carnophobia | meat |
| catagelophobia | being ridiculed |
| catapedophobia | jumping |
| cathisophobia | sitting |
| catoptrophobia | mirrors |
| cenophobia | empty spaces |
| centophobia | new things or ideas |
| ceraunophobia | thunder and lightning |
| chaetophobia | hair |
| cheimatophobia | the cold or cold things |
| chemophobia | chemicals |
| cherophobia | gaiety |
| chionophobia | snow |
| chiraptophobia | being touched |
| chirophobia | hands |
| cholerophobia | anger or cholera |
| chorophobia | dancing |
| chromatophobia | colors |
| chrometophobia | money |
| chronomentrophobia | clocks |
| chronophobia | time |
| chrysophobia | gold |
| cibophobia | food (See also Sitiophobia) |
| claustrophobia | confinement |
| cleithrophobia | being enclosed (See also clithrophobia) |
| cleptophobia | stealing |
| clinophobia | going to bed |
| clithrophobia | being enclosed |
| cnidophobia | stings |
| coimetrophobia | cemeteries |
| coitophobia | sex or sexual relations |
| cometophobia | comets |
| contreltophobia | sexual abuse |
| coprastasophobia | constipation |
| coprophobia | feces |
| coulrophobia | clowns |
| counterphobia | fearful situations |
| cremnophobia | cliffs and precipices |
| cryophobia | extreme cold, ice or frost |
| crystallophobia | crystals or glass |
| cyberphobia | Internet, the |
| cyclophobia | cycles or bicycles |
| cymophobia | waves or waviness |
| cynophobia | dogs or rabies |
| cyprianophobia | prostitutes or venereal disease |
| cypridophobia | venereal disease |
| cyprinophobia | prostitutes |
| • D • | |
| daimonophobia | ghosts or demons |
| decalcophobia | decals |
| defecaloesiophobia | painful bowels movements |
| deipnophobia | dining |
| dementophobia | insanity |
| demonophobia | ghosts or demons |
| demophobia | people |
| dendrophobia | trees |
| dentophobia | dentists or dentistry |
| dermatophobia | skin disease (See also dermatosiophobia) |
| dermatosiophobia | skin disease (See also dermatophobia) |
| dextrophobia | things on the right |
| diabetophobia | diabetes |
| didaskaleinophobia | going to school |
| dikephobia | justice, lawsuits |
| dinophobia | dizziness or whirlpools |
| diplophobia | double vision |
| dipsophobia | drinking (spirits. alcohol) |
| dishabiliophobia | undressing in front of someone |
| dontophobia | teeth |
| dorophobia | fur animal skins |
| doxophobia | opinions or praise |
| dromophobia | crossing streets |
| dysmorphophobia | physical deformity |
| dystychiphobia | accidents |
| • E • | |
| ecclesiophobia | church |
| ecophobia | the home or houses (See also oikophobia) |
| eisoptrophobia | mirrors |
| electrophobia | electricity |
| eleutherophobia | freedom |
| emetophobia | vomiting |
| enetophobia | pins |
| enissophobia | attack or criticism |
| enochlophobia | crowds |
| entomophobia | insects |
| eosophobia | dawn or daylight |
| ephebophobia | teenagers |
| epistaxiophobia | nosebleeds |
| epistemophobia | knowledge |
| equinophobia | horses (Better hippophobia) |
| eremophobia | being oneself or of loneliness |
| ereuthophobia | red or anything red (See also erythrophobia, erytophobia) |
| ergasiophobia | work or functioning |
| ergophobia | work |
| erophobia | love, love-making |
| erotophobia | the erotic, eroticism |
| erythrophobia | red or anything red (See also erytophobia, ereuthophobia) |
| erytophobia | red or anything red (See also erythrophobia, ereuthophobia) |
| euphobia | goodness or things good |
| eurotophobia | female private parts |
| • F • | |
| febriphobia | fever (See also fibriophobia) |
| fibriophobia | fever (See also febriphobia) |
| Francophobia | things French (See also Gallophobia, Galiophobia) |
| frigophobia | cold or cold things |
| • G • | |
| Gallophobia | things French (See also Francophobia, Galiophobia) |
| gamophobia | marriage |
| geliophobia | laughter |
| geniophobia | chins |
| genophobia | sex |
| genuphobia | knees |
| gephyrophobia | crossing bridges |
| gerascophobia | growing old |
| germanophobia | germany or german culture |
| gerontophobia | old people |
| geumophobia | taste |
| glossophobia | language or speaking |
| gnosiophobia | knowledge |
| goetophobia | witches and witchcraft |
| graphophobia | writing or script |
| gymnophobia | nudity |
| gynephobia | women |
| • H • | |
| hadephobia | hell (See also stygiophobia) |
| hagiophobia | saints or holy things |
| hamartophobia | sinning or sin |
| haphephobia | being touched |
| haptephobia | being touched (See also haphephobia) |
| harpaxophobia | being robbed |
| hedonophobia | feeling pleasure |
| heliophobia | the sun or sunlight |
| Hellenologophobia | Greek words or scientific terms |
| Hellenophobia | things Greek |
| helminthophobia | worms |
| hematophobia | blood |
| hemophobia | blood |
| hereiophobia | heresy, challenges to official doctrine |
| herpetophobia | reptiles |
| hesperophobia | The West |
| heterophobia | the opposite sex |
| hierophobia | priests or sacred things |
| hippophobia | horses (Better than equinophobia) |
| hobophobia | bums or beggars (Joke) |
| hodophobia | road travel |
| homichlophobia | fog |
| homilophobia | sermons |
| homophobia | homosexuals or homosexuality |
| homophobia | people |
| homophobia | sameness |
| hoplophobia | firearms |
| hormephobia | shock |
| hyalophobia | glass (See also hyelophobia) |
| hydrargyophobia | mercurial medicines |
| hydrophobia | water (also medical name of rabies) |
| hydrophobophobia | rabies |
| hyelophobia | glass (See also hyalophobia) |
| hygrophobia | liquid or moisture |
| hygrophobia | liquids, dampness, or moisture |
| hylephobia | materialism or epilepsy |
| hylophobia | forests |
| hypegiaphobia | responsibility |
| hypengyophobia | responsibility |
| hypnophobia | sleep or hypnosis |
| hypsophobia | height |
| iatrophobia | doctors |
| • I • | |
| ichthyophobia | fish |
| iconophobia | pictures or images |
| ideophobia | ideas |
| illyngophobia | vertigo |
| insectophobia | insects |
| iophobia | poison |
| Islamophobia | Islam |
| isolophobia | solitude, being alone |
| isopterophobia | termites |
| • J • | |
| Japanophobia | things Japanese |
| Judeophobia | Jews |
| • K • | |
| kainophobia | novelty, innovation |
| kainotophobia | change |
| kakorrhaphiophobia | failure or defeat |
| katagelophobia | ridicule |
| kathisophobia | sitting down |
| kenophobia | empty spaces |
| keraunophobia | thunder and lightning (See also ceraunophobia) |
| kinesophobia | movement or motion (See also kinetophobia) |
| kinetophobia | movement or motion (See also kinesophobia) |
| kleptophobia | stealing, theifs |
| koinoniphobia | rooms |
| kolpophobia | private parts, particularly female |
| koniophobia | dust (See also amathophobia) |
| kopophobia | fatigue |
| kosmophobia | cosmos, cosmic phenomena |
| kymophobia | waves or undulation (See also cymophobia) |
| kynophobia | dogs or rabies |
| kyphophobia | stooping |
| • L • | |
| lachanophobia | vegetables |
| levophobia | things on the left |
| laliophobia | speaking (See also lalophobia) |
| lalophobia | speaking (Peferable to laliophobia) |
| leprophobia | leprosy |
| leukophobia | white, the color |
| ligyrophobia | loud or shrill noises |
| lilapsophobia | tornadoes and hurricanes |
| limnophobia | lakes |
| linonophobia | string |
| litigophobia | law suits (See also dikophobia) |
| logizomechanophobia | computers |
| logophobia | words (Better than verbophobia) |
| loutrophobia | washing or bathing |
| luiphobia | lues, syphillis |
| lutraphobia | otters |
| lygophobia | darkness |
| lyssophobia | rabies or madness |
| • M • | |
| macrophobia | long waits |
| mageirocophobia | cooking |
| maieusiophobia | childbirth |
| malaxophobia | softening, softness |
| maniaphobia | insanity |
| mastigophobia | whips, whipping, punishment |
| mechanophobia | machines |
| megalophobia | large things |
| melanophobia | black, the color |
| melissophobia | bees |
| melophobia | music |
| meningitophobia | brain disease |
| menophobia | menstruation |
| merinthophobia | being tied up |
| metallophobia | metal |
| metathesiophobia | changes |
| meteorophobia | meteors |
| methyphobia | alcohol |
| metrophobia | poetry |
| microbiophobia | microbes (See also bacillophobia) |
| microphobia | small things |
| misophobia | hatred |
| mnemophobia | memories |
| molysmophobia | contamination |
| monopathophobia | single disease |
| monophobia | solitude or being alone |
| motorophobia | motors |
| musculophobia | muscles |
| musophobia | mice or muscles |
| mycophobia | mushrooms |
| mycrophobia | small things |
| myrmecophobia | ants |
| mysophobia | dirt or germs |
| mythophobia | myths or gossip |
| myxophobia | slime (See also blennophobia) |
| • N • | |
| nebulaphobia | fog (See also homichlophobia) |
| necrophobia | death or dead things |
| negrophobia | Africans or African Americans |
| nelophobia | glass |
| neopharmaphobia | new drugs |
| neophobia | anything new |
| nephophobia | clouds |
| noctiphobia | the night (Better nyctophobia) |
| nomatophobia | names |
| nomophobia | cellphones |
| nosocomephobia | hospitals |
| nosophobia | illness or disease |
| nostophobia | returning home |
| novercaphobia | your stepmother or stepmothers |
| nucleomitophobia | nuclear weapons |
| nudophobia | nudity |
| numerophobia | numbers |
| nyctohylophobia | forests at night |
| nyctophobia | night, dark (Better than noctiphobia) |
| nymphophobia | young girls |
| • O • | |
| obesophobia | obesity |
| ochlophobia | crowds or mobs |
| ochophobia | vehicles |
| octophobia | 8, the figure or number |
| odontophobia | teeth or dentistry |
| odynephobia | pain (See also agliophobia) |
| oenophobia | wines |
| oikophobia | the home or houses (See also ecophobia) |
| olfactophobia | smells |
| ombrophobia | rain |
| ommatophobia | eyes (See also ommetaphobia) |
| ommetaphobia | eyes (See also ommataphobia) |
| oneirogmophobia | wet dreams |
| oneirophobia | dreams |
| onomatophobia | words or a certain word |
| ophidiophobia | snakes |
| ophthalmophobia | being stared or looked at |
| opiophobia | medicine |
| optophobia | opening one's eyes |
| ornithophobia | birds |
| orthophobia | property |
| osmophobia | smells or odors (See also osphresiophobia) |
| osphresiophobia | smells or odors (See also osmophobia) |
| ostracophobia | oysters, shellfish |
| ouranophobia | heaven (See also uranophobia) |
| • P • | |
| paedophobia | children or dolls (See also pedophobia) |
| pagophobia | ice or frost |
| panophobia | everything (See also pantophobia) |
| panthophobia | suffering and disease |
| pantophobia | everything (See also panophobia) |
| papaphobia | the Pope |
| papyrophobia | paper |
| paralipophobia | neglecting duty or responsibility |
| paraphobia | sexual perversion |
| parasitophobia | parasites |
| paraskavedekatriaphobia | Friday the 13th (Joke) |
| parthenophobia | young girls |
| parturiphobia | childbirth |
| pathophobia | disease |
| patroiophobia | heredity |
| peccatophobia | sinning or crimes |
| pediculophobia | lice |
| pediophobia | dolls |
| pedophobia | children or dolls (See also paedophobia) |
| peladophobia | bald people |
| pellagrophobia | pellagra |
| peniaphobia | poverty |
| pentherophobia | your mother-in-law or mother-in-laws (See also novercaphobia) |
| phagophobia | eating or of being eaten |
| phalacrophobia | becoming bald |
| phallophobia | penis, esp erect |
| pharmacophobia | drugs or medicines |
| phasmophobia | ghosts |
| phengophobia | daylight or sunshine |
| philematophobia | kissing |
| philemophobia | kissing |
| philophobia | affection, kindness. |
| philosophobia | philosophy, learning |
| phallainophobia | whales |
| phobophobia | fear or phobias |
| phonophobia | sounds, voices, or telephones |
| photophobia | light |
| phronemophobia | thinking |
| phtheirophobia | lice |
| phthisiophobia | tuberculosis |
| placophobia | tombstones |
| plutophobia | wealth |
| pluviophobia | rain |
| pneumatophobia | spirits |
| pnigerophobia | choking of being smothered (See also pnigophobia) |
| pnigophobia | choking of being smothered (See also pnigerophobia) |
| pogophobia | beards |
| poinephobia | punishment |
| poliophobia | poliomyelitis or gray, the color |
| politicophobia | politics or politicians |
| polyphobia | many things |
| ponophobia | overworking or of pain |
| pornophobia | pornography |
| pornographophobia | pornography |
| porphyrophobia | purple, the color |
| potamophobia | rivers or running water |
| potophobia | alcohol or drinking |
| proctophobia | rectums |
| prosophobia | progress |
| psellismophobia | stuttering |
| psychophobia | mind |
| psychrophobia | cold (See also frigophobia) |
| pteridophobia | ferns |
| pterophobia | feathers or being tickled by them; birds |
| pupaphobia | puppets |
| pyrexiophobia | fever |
| pyrophobia | fire |
| • R • | |
| radiophobia | radiation, x-rays, or radios |
| ranophobia | frogs |
| rhabdophobia | switch, the rod, or punishment |
| rhypophobia | defecation |
| rhytophobia | wrinkles or getting wrinkles |
| rupophobia | dirt |
| Russophobia | russians |
| • S • | |
| samhainophobia | halloween (Joke) |
| sarmassophobia | love play (Questionable word) |
| Satanophobia | Satan |
| scabiophobia | scabies |
| scatophobia | fecal matter |
| scelerophibia | evil, evil people |
| sciophobia | shadows |
| scoleciphobia | worms |
| scolionophobia | school |
| scopophobia | being looked at |
| scorodophobia | garlic (Better than alliophobia) |
| scotophobia | darkness (See also achluophobia, nychtophobia) |
| scriptophobia | writing in public |
| selachophobia | sharks |
| selaphobia | light flashes |
| selenophobia | the moon |
| seplophobia | decaying matter |
| sesquipedalophobia | long words |
| sexophobia | sex |
| siderodromophobia | trains, railroads or train travel |
| siderophobia | iron or steel |
| sinistrophobia | things to the left or left-handedness |
| sinophobia | things Chinese |
| sitiophobia | food (See also cibophobia) |
| socerophobia | parents-in-law |
| sociophobia | society or people in general |
| somnephobia | sleep or dreams |
| sophophobia | wisdom or learning |
| spermatophobia | germs (See also spermophobia) |
| spermophobia | germs (See also spermatophobia) |
| sphekophobia | wasps |
| stasephobia | standing or walking (ambulophobia) |
| staurophobia | crosses or the crucifix |
| stenophobia | narrow things or places |
| stygiophobia | hell (See also Latinized hadephobia) |
| suriphobia | mice (Thanks Jeremy Busch) |
| symbolophobia | symbolism |
| symmetrophobia | symmetry |
| syngeneaphobia | relatives |
| syphilophobia | syphilis |
| • T • | |
| tachophobia | speed |
| taeniophobia | tapeworms (See also teniophobia) |
| taphephobia | of cemeteries or of being buried alive |
| tapinophobia | being contagious |
| taurophobia | bulls |
| technophobia | technology |
| teleophobia | definite plans |
| telephonophobia | telephones |
| teniophobia | tapeworms (See also taeniophobia) |
| teratophobia | monsters or deformities |
| testophobia | tests, taking tests (Joke) |
| tetanophobia | lockjaw, tetanus |
| Teutophobia | Germans or things German |
| textophobia | certain fabrics |
| thassophobia | sitting |
| thalassophobia | sea, ocean |
| thanatophobia | death or dying |
| theatrophobia | theatres |
| theologophobia | theology or religious study |
| theophobia | gods or religion |
| thermophobia | heat |
| tocophobia | pregnancy or childbirth |
| tomophobia | surgical operations |
| topophobia | performing in certain places |
| toxophobia | poison or being poisoned |
| traumatophobia | injury |
| tremophobia | trembling |
| trichinophobia | trichinosis |
| trichopathophobia | hair disorders |
| trichophobia | hair |
| triskaidekaphobia | the number 13 (Joke) |
| tropophobia | changes |
| trypanophobia | injections |
| tuberculophobia | tuberculosis |
| typhlophobia | blindness |
| tyrannophobia | tyrants |
| • U • | |
| uranophobia | heaven (See also ouranophobia) |
| urophobia | urine or urination |
| • V • | |
| vaccinophobia | injections or vaccination |
| venusophobia | beautiful women (Joke) |
| verbophobia | words (Latinized; see logophobia) |
| verminophobia | germs |
| vestiphobia | clothing |
| vitricophobia | stepfather |
| • W • | |
| Walloonophobia | Walloons |
| wiccophobia | witches and witchcraft (Joke; see gaetophobia) |
| • X • | |
| xanthophobia | yellow, the color |
| xenoglossophobia | foreign languages |
| xenophobia | strangers or foreigners |
| xerophobia | dryness |
| xeroxophobia | paper copies (Joke) |
| xylophobia | wood or forests |
| xyrophobia | razors |
| • Z • | |
| zelophobia | jealousy |
| zemmophobia | the great mole rat (Joke) |
| zoophobia | animals |
