hydrophobia

noun

hy·​dro·​pho·​bia ˌhī-drə-ˈfō-bē-ə 

1

: rabies

2

: a morbid dread of water

Examples of hydrophobia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The other type, furious rabies, can cause hallucinations, lack of coordination, a fear of water — a symptom known as hydrophobia — and fear of fresh air or drafts. —Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2023

In fact, hydrophobia is such a classic symptom of the disease that early medical experts considered the word synonymous with rabies. —Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 3 Oct. 2023

Doctors published a case study in 2018 describing the case of a man who was diagnosed with rabies after experiencing hydrophobia. —Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2023

Later symptoms include trouble swallowing, fear of water (hydrophobia), paralysis, seizure, coma, and eventual death. —Bill Laitner, Detroit Free Press, 8 Sep. 2018

At that point, a person can show symptoms like confusion, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, insomnia, drooling, difficulty swallowing and hydrophobia, fear of water. —Minali Nigam, CNN, 12 June 2019

Over time, symptoms that are more specific to brain dysfunction appear and may include difficulty sleeping, anxiety, confusion, hallucinations, agitation, partial paralysis, difficulty swallowing, and hydrophobia, a fear of water. —Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press, 3 July 2018

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin, from Greek, from hydr- + -phobia -phobia

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

hydrophobia

noun

hy·​dro·​pho·​bia ˌhī-drə-ˈfō-bē-ə 

1

: rabies

2

: an abnormal fear of water

hydrophobic

-ˈfō-bik

-ˈfäb-ik

adjective

Medical Definition

hydrophobia

noun

hy·​dro·​pho·​bia ˌhī-drə-ˈfō-bē-ə 

1

: a morbid dread of water

2

a

: extreme fearfulness of swallowing liquids that is symptomatic of rabies and results from painful spasms of the throat

In classic cases, there is a fear of drinking liquids, or hydrophobia, despite thirst due to spasm of the throat muscles.

—Lawrence K. Altman, The New York Times

b

: rabies

Rabies victims at first feel a general malaise and restlessness, then grow increasingly agitated with painful spasms of the throat. … Soon they cannot drink, which is why rabies has been called "hydrophobia."

—Wayne Biddle, A Field Guide to Germs