aviophobia

noun

avi·​o·​pho·​bia ˌā-vē-ə-ˈfō-bē-ə How to pronounce aviophobia (audio)
ˌa-
variants or less commonly aviaphobia
: intense fear or dislike of flying : aerophobia
Relatively few of the estimated 25 million Americans who suffer from aviophobia avoid flying altogether.Travel and Leisure
aviophobe noun
or less commonly aviaphobe or aviophobic or aviaphobic
plural aviophobes also aviaphobes or aviophobics or aviaphobics
Who doesn't love the feeling you get when you're high in the air on a plane, heading for somewhere—anywhere—different? Well, aviophobes for one, who find nothing but fear in the friendly skies. Adria Vasil
aviophobic adjective
or less commonly aviaphobic
I'd come straight from an American Airlines flight during which an aviophobic widow had wadded various handfuls of my blouse and jacket into her fists the entire trip. Jennifer Rardin

Examples of aviophobia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Only a small percentage of people actually suffer from clinical aviophobia. Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aviophobia.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

aviophobia from avi- (in aviation, aviator) + -o- + -phobia; aviaphobia from avia- (in aviation, aviator) + -phobia

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of aviophobia was in 1976

Dictionary Entries Near aviophobia

Cite this Entry

“Aviophobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aviophobia. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

aviophobia

noun
avi·​o·​pho·​bia ˌā-vē-ə-ˈfō-bē-ə, ˌa- How to pronounce aviophobia (audio)
variants also aviaphobia
: fear of flying : aerophobia
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