Fear in a dangerous situation is normal. Phobias, however, go beyond normal fear and are irrational. The fear could be an animal, object, place or situation. Many times the source of the fear poses no actual threat or danger, but the person is overwhelmed by fear nonetheless.
People with specific phobias will do everything they can to avoid what is causing their fear, even when doing so greatly interferes with their daily lives. When faced with their phobia, they will experience intense anxiety, which is sometimes debilitating.
What Is a Phobia?
A phobia is an irrational fear associated with a certain stimulus like elevators, needles or animals. A specific phobia is a type of anxiety disorder, and it causes people to feel a sense of fear that is out of proportion to the actual danger that the source of the phobia presents. For instance, riding in a plane can be dangerous in rare instances, like in a plane crash, but most people accept that a crash is unlikely and flying is generally safe. Someone with a specific phobia of flying will view the act of getting into a plane as being a life-threatening danger.
Are you ready?
A
- Ablutophobia – Fear of bathing, cleaning or washing
- Acarophobia – Fear of itching or tiny insects that cause itching
- Acerophobia – Fear of sourness
- Achluophobia – Fear of darkness
- Acousticophobia – Fear of noise
- Acrophobia – Fear of heights
- Aerophobia – Fear of flying, drafts or fresh air
- Algophobia – Fear of pain
- Agoraphobia – Fear of crowds of people and open spaces
- Agrizoophobia – Fear of wild animals
- Agyrophobia – Fear of crossing roads
- Aichmophobia – Fear of pointed objects, like needles
- Ailurophobia – Fear of cats
- Albuminurophobia – Fear of kidney disease
- Alektorophobia – Fear of chickens
- Alliumphobia – Fear of garlic
- Allodoxaphobia – Fear of opinions
- Amathophobia – Fear of dust
- Amaxophobia – Fear of being in a car
- Ambulophobia – Fear of walking
- Amychophobia – Fear of being scratched
- Anablephobia – Fear of looking up
- Androphobia – Fear of men
- Anemophobia – Fear of wind or drafts
- Anglophobia – Fear of England or Britain
- Anginophobia – Fear of choking
- Anthrophobia – Fear of flowers
- Antlophobia – Fear of floods
- Anuptaphobia – Fear of staying single
- Apeirophobia – Fear of infinity
- Anthropophobia – Fear of people or society
- Aphenphosmphobia – Fear of intimacy
- Apiphobia – Fear of bees or bee stings
- Arachibutyrophobia – Fear of peanut butter getting stuck to the roof of the mouth
- Aquaphobia – Fear of water
- Arachnophobia – Fear of spiders
- Arithmophobia – Fear of numbers
- Asthenophobia – Fear of fainting
- Astraphobia – Fear of thunder and lightning
- Astrophobia – Fear of celestial space
- Ataxiophobia – Fear of ataxia, which is muscular incoordination
- Ataxophobia – Fear of disorder or untidiness
- Atelophobia – Fear of imperfection
- Athazagoraphobia – Fear of being forgotten or ignored
- Atychiphobia – Fear of failure
- Aulophobia – Fear of flutes
- Aurophobia – Fear of gold
- Auroraphobia – Fear of an Aurora, sometimes called northern lights
- Automatonophobia – Fear of ventriloquist dummies or wax statues
- Automysophobia – Fear of being dirty
- Autophobia – Fear of being alone
- Aviophobia – Fear of flying
B
- Bacteriophobia – Fear of bacteria
- Ballistophobia – Fear of missiles or bullets
- Barophobia – Fear of gravity
- Basophobia – Fear of falling
- Bathmophobia – Fear of steep inclines, slopes and stairs
- Bathophobia – Fear of depths
- Batrachophobia – Fear of amphibians
- Belonephobia – Fear of pins and needles
- Bibliophobia – Fear of books or reading aloud
- Bogyphobia – Fear of the bogeyman
- Botanophobia – Fear of plants
- Bovinophobia – Fear of cows or cattle
- Bromidrosiphobia – Fear of body smells
- Bufonophobia – Fear of toads
C
- Cacophobia – Fear of ugliness
- Cainophobia – Fear of newness or novelty
- Caligynephobia – Fear of beautiful women
- Carcinophobia – Feat of developing cancer
- Cardiophobia – Fear of getting heart disease
- Carnophobia – Fear of meat
- Catagelophobia – Fear of being ridiculed
- Catapedaphobia – Fear of jumping
- Cathisophobia – Fear of sitting
- Catoptrophobia – Fear of mirrors or the undead
- Ceraunophobia – Fear of thunder and lightning
- Cetaphobia – Fear of whales
- Chaetophobia – Fear of hair
- Chemophobia – Fear of chemicals or chemistry
- Cherophobia – Fear of happiness
- Chionophobia – Fear of snow
- Chiraptophobia – Fear of being touched
- Chirophobia – Fear of hands
- Chiroptophobia – Fear of bats
- Cholerophobia – Fear of anger, or being afraid of cholera
- Chorophobia – Fear of dancing
- Chrometophobia – Fear of money
- Chromophobia – Fear of colors
- Chronomentrophobia – Fear of clocks
- Cibophobia – Fear of food
- Chloephobia – Fear of newspapers
- Chronophobia – Fear of Time
- Claustrophobia – Fear of confined spaces
- Cleisiophobia – Fear of being locked in a space that is enclosed
- Climacophobia – Fear of climbing, especially stairs
- Clinophobia – Fear of beds or going to bed
- Coimetrophobia – Fear of cemeteries
- Contreltophobia – Fear of sexual abuse
- Coprastasophobia – Fear of constipation
- Coprophobia – Fear of feces or defecation
- Coulrophobia – Fear of clowns
- Cremnophobia – Fear of steep cliffs
- Cryophobia – Fear of extreme cold
- Crystallophobia – Fear of crystals or glass
- Cyberphobia – Fear of computers
- Cyclophobia – Fear of bicycles
- Cynophobia – Fear of dogs
D
- Decidophobia – Fear of making decisions
- Defecaloesiophobia – Fear of painful bowel movements
- Deipnophobia – Fear of dining with others
- Dementophobia – Fear of going insane
- Demonophobia – Fear of demons
- Dendrophobia – Fear of trees
- Dentophobia – Fear of dentists
- Dermatophobia – Fear of skin lesions or skin disease
- Dextrophobia – Fear of having objects to your right
- Didaskaleinophobia – Fear of going to school
- Dikephobia – Fear of justice
- Dinophobia – Fear of dizziness
- Diplophobia – Fear of double vision
- Dipsophobia – Fear of drinking alcohol
- Dishabiliophobia – Fear of undressing in front of another person
- Domatophobia – Fear of houses
- Doraphobia – Fear of animal fur or skins
- Dromophobia – Fear of crossing streets or wandering
- Dysmorphophobia – Fear of deformity
- Dystychiphobia – Fear of accidents
E
- Ebulliophobia – Fear of bubbles
- Ecclesiophobia – Fear of church
- Ecophobia – Fear of one’s home
- Eisoptrophobia – Fear of mirrors or seeing oneself in a mirror
- Electrophobia – Fear of electricity
- Eleutherophobia – Fear of freedom
- Emetophobia – Fear of vomiting
- Enetophobia – Fear of pins
- Enochlophobia – Fear of crowds
- Enosiophobia – Fear of criticism or committing an unpardonable sin
- Entomophobia – Fear of insects
- Eosophobia – Fear of dawn or daylight
- Ephebiphobia – Fear of adolescents or youth
- Epistaxiophobia – Fear of nosebleeds
- Epistemophobia – Fear of knowledge
- Equinophobia – Fear of horses
- Eremophobia – Fear of being oneself
- Ereuthrophobia – Fear of blushing
- Ergophobia – Fear of work
- Erotophobia – Fear of sex or sexual intimacy
- Euphobia – Fear of hearing good news
- Eurotophobia – fear of female genitalia
F
- Febriphobia – Fear of fever
- Francophobia – Fear of France or French people
- Frigophobia – Fear of becoming too cold
G
- Gamophobia – Fear of marriage
- Geliophobia – Fear of laughter
- Geniophobia – Fear of chins
- Genuphobia – Fear of knees
- Gerascophobia – Fear of growing old
- Globophobia – Fear of balloons
- Glossophobia – Fear of public speaking
- Gymnophobia – Fear of nudity
- Gynophobia – Fear of women
H
- Hadephobia – Fear of hell
- Hagiophobia – Fear of holy people, places and things, like saints
- Harpaxophobia – Fear of being robbed
- Hedonophobia – Fear of feeling pleasure
- Heliophobia – Fear of the sun
- Hemophobia – Fear of blood
- Herpetophobia – Fear of reptiles
- Heterophobia – Fear of heterosexuals
- Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia – Fear of long words
- Hodophobia – Fear of travel
- Homichlophobia – Fear of fog or humidity
- Homilophobia – Fear of sermons
- Homophobia – Fear of homosexuality
- Hoplophobia – Fear of firearms
- Hydrophobia – Fear of water
- Hylophobia – Fear of forests
- Hypegiaphobia – Fear of responsibility
- Hypochondria – Fear of illness
I
- Iatrophobia – Fear of doctors
- Ichthyophobia – Fear of fish
- Ideophobia – Fear of new ideas or thoughts
- Illyngophobia – Fear of vertigo
- Insectophobia – Fear of insects
- Iophobia – Fear of poison
- Isolophobia – Fear of isolation
- Ithyphallophobia – Fear of an erection
J
- Japanophobia – Fear of Japanese people
- Judeophobia – Fear of Jews
K
- Kainolophobia – Fear of novelty
- Kakorrhaphiophobia – Fear of failure
- Katagelophobia – Fear of ridicule
- Kathisophobia – Fear of sitting down
- Kenophobia – Fear of empty spaces
- Kinemortophobia – Fear of zombies
- Kinetophobia – Fear of motion
- Kleptophobia – Fear of theft
- Koinoniphobia – Fear of rooms that are full of people
- Kopophobia – Fear of fatigue
- Koniophobia – Fear of dust
L
- Lachanophobia – Fear of vegetables
- Leprophobia – Fear of leprosy
- Leukophobia – Fear of the color white
- Ligyrophobia – Fear of loud noises
- Lilapsophobia – Fear of tornadoes and hurricanes
- Limnophobia – Fear of lakes
- Linonophobia – Fear of string
- Liticaphobia – Fear of lawsuits
- Lockiophobia – Fear of childbirth
- Logophobia – Fear of words
- Luiphobia – Fear of syphilis
- Lutraphobia – Fear of otters
- Lygophobia – Fear of darkness
M
- Mageirocophobia – Fear of cooking
- Malaxophobia – Fear of love play
- Mastigophobia – Fear of punishment
- Mechanophobia – Fear of machines
- Megalophobia – Fear of large things
- Melanophobia – Fear of the color black
- Melophobia – Fear of music
- Menophobia – Fear of menstruation
- Merinthophobia – Fear of being tied up
- Metathesiophobia – Fear of changes
- Methyphobia – Fear of drinking alcohol
- Metrophobia – Fear of poetry
- Microphobia – Fear of small things
- Mnemophobia – Fear of memories
- Motorphobia – Fear of automobiles
- Musophobia – Fear of mice
- Mycophobia – Fear of mushrooms
- Myrmecophobia – Fear of ants
- Mysophobia – Fear of dirt and germs
- Myxophobia – Fear of slime
N
- Necrophobia – Fear of death, dying and dead things
- Neopharmaphobia – Fear of new drugs
- Neophobia – Fear of anything new
- Nephophobia – Fear of clouds
- Noctiphobia – Fear of the night
- Nomatophobia – Fear of names
- Nomophobia – Fear of losing or being without your mobile phone
- Nosocomephobia – Fear of hospitals
- Nostophobia – Fear of returning home
- Novercaphobia – Fear of stepmothers
- Numerophobia – Fear of numbers
- Nyctophobia – Fear of the dark
O
- Obesophobia – Fear of gaining weight
- Ochophobia – Fear of vehicles
- Octophobia – Fear of the number 8
- Odontophobia – Fear of dental surgery
- Odynophobia – Fear of pain
- Oenophobia – Fear of wines
- Oikophobia – Fear of home
- Olfactophobia – Fear of odors
- Ombrophobia – Fear of rain
- Ommetaphobia – Fear of eyes or eye care
- Omphalophobia – Fear of belly buttons
- Onomatophobia – Fear of certain words or names
- Ophidiophobia – Fear of snakes
- Ophthalmophobia – Fear of being stared at
- Opiophobia – Fear of opioids
- Optophobia – Fear of opening one’s eyes
- Ornithophobia – Fear of birds
- Osphresiophobia – Fear of smells
- Ostraconophobia – Fear of shellfish
- Ouranophobia – Fear of heaven
P
- Pagophobia – Fear of ice or frost
- Panophobia – Fear of an unknown evil
- Papaphobia – Fear of the Pope
- Papyrophobia – Fear of paper
- Parasitophobia – Fear of parasites
- Pathophobia – Fear of disease
- Peccatophobia – Fear of sinning
- Pediophobia – Fear of dolls
- Pedophobia – Fear of children
- Pentheraphobia – Fear of your mother-in-law
- Phalacrophobia – Fear of going bald
- Pharmacophobia – Fear of medicines
- Phasmophobia – Fear of ghosts
- Philemaphobia – Fear of kissing
- Philophobia – Fear of love
- Phobophobia – Fear of phobias
- Phonophobia – Fear of loud noises
- Photophobia – Fear of light
- Phthisiophobia – Fear of tuberculosis
- Placophobia – Fear of tombstones
- Plutophobia – Fear of money or wealth
- Podophobia – Fear of feet
- Pogonophobia – Fear of beards
- Poinephobia – Fear of punishment
- Porphyrophobia – Fear of the color purple
- Proctophobia – Fear of rectums
- Pteridophobia – Fear of ferns
- Pteromerhanophobia – Fear of flying
- Pupaphobia – Fear of puppets
- Pyrophobia – Fear of fire
Q
- Quadraphobia – Fearing the number four
- Quintaphobia – Fearing the number five
- Quadriplegiaphobia – Fearing becoming a quadriplegic or being afraid of quadriplegics
R
- Radiophobia – Fear of radiation, X rays
- Ranidaphobia – Fear of frogs
- Rhabdophobia – Fear of being beaten or punishment
- Rhypophobia – Fear of defecation
- Rhytiphobia – Fear of getting wrinkles
- Rupophobia – Fear of dirt
- Russophobia – Fear of Russians
S
- Samhainophobia – Fear of Halloween
- Sarmassophobia – Fear of love play
- Satanophobia – Fear of Satan
- Scabiophobia – Fear of scabies
- Scelerophobia – Fear of bad men, burglars
- Sciophobia – Fear of shadows
- Scoleciphobia – Fear of worms
- Scolionophobia – Fear of school
- Scotomaphobia – Fear of blindness
- Scriptophobia – Fear of writing in public
- Selenophobia – Fear of the moon
- Seplophobia – Fear of decaying matter
- Sesquipedalophobia – Fear of long words
- Siderodromophobia – Fear of trains
- Siderophobia – Fear of stars
- Sinistrophobia – Fear of left-handedness
- Spectrophobia – Fear of mirrors or the undead
- Spheksophobia – Fear of wasps
- Social Phobia – Fear of social evaluation
- Somniphobia – Fear of sleep
- Staurophobia – Fear of the crucifix
- Stenophobia – Fear of narrow places
- Symbolophobia – Fear of symbolism
- Symmetrophobia – Fear of symmetry
- Syngenesophobia – Fear of relatives
- Syphilophobia – Fear of syphilis
T
- Tachophobia – Fear of speed
- Taphephobia – Fear of being buried alive
- Tapinophobia – Fear of being contagious
- Taurophobia – Fear of bulls
- Technophobia – Fear of technology
- Teleophobia – Fear of definite plans
- Testophobia – Fear of taking tests
- Thalassophobia – Fear of the sea
- Thanatophobia – Fear of death or dying
- Theatrophobia – Fear of theaters
- Thermophobia – Fear of heat
- Tocophobia – Fear of childbirth
- Tonitrophobia – Fear of thunder
- Toxiphobia – Fear of poison
- Traumatophobia – Fear of injury
- Tremophobia – Fear of trembling
- Trichopathophobia – Fear of hair disease
- Trichophobia – Fear of loose hair
- Triskaidekaphobia – Fear of the number 13
- Trypanophobia – Fear of needles or injections
- Turophobia – Fear of cheese
U
- Uranophobia – Fear of heaven
- Urophobia – Fear of urine or urinating
V
- Vaccinophobia – Fear of vaccinations
- Venustraphobia – Fear of beautiful women
- Verbophobia – Fear of words
- Verminophobia – Fear of germs
- Vestiphobia – Fear of clothing
- Virginitiphobia – Fear of rape
- Vitricophobia – Fear of stepfathers
W
- Walloonophobia – Fear of the Walloons, an ethnic group native to Belgium
- Wiccaphobia – Fear of witches and witchcraft
X
- Xenophobia – Fear of strangers or foreigners
- Xanthophobia – Fear of the color yellow
- Xenophobia – Fear of strangers
- Xerophobia – Fear of dryness
- Xylophobia – Fear of forests
Y
- Ymophobia – Fear of being contrary or contrariety in general
Z
- Zelophobia – Fear of jealousy
- Zemmiphobia – Fear of the great mole rat
- Zeusophobia – Fear of God or gods
- Zoophobia – Fear of animals
