phobia

1 of 2

noun

pho·​bia ˈfō-bē-ə 

: an exaggerated usually inexplicable and illogical fear of a particular object, class of objects, or situation

-phobia

2 of 2

noun combining form

1

: exaggerated fear of

acrophobia

2

: intolerance or aversion for

photophobia

Examples of phobia in a Sentence

Noun

His fear of crowds eventually developed into a phobia.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Despite dealing with the snake in next to no time, Zachary understood the impact his doorbell camera footage would have on anyone with a phobia of snakes. —Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025

In the comments section, many Reddit users expressed that the dad was in the wrong because his girlfriend wasn’t just anyone, and she should've been told about his daughter's water phobia. —Stephanie Guerilus, People.com, 24 May 2025

But sleepaway camp may not be for everyone, including children with a panic or mood disorder, phobia, or who have experienced a recent tragedy or trauma. —Asuka Koda, CNN Money, 9 July 2025

So spending the night in a haunted hotel on Friday the 13th, for example, would be a nightmare for anyone dealing with these phobias. —Tribune News Reports, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

-phobia

Noun combining form

New Latin, from Late Latin, from Greek, from -phobos fearing, from phobos fear, flight, from phebesthai to flee; akin to Lithuanian bėgti to flee, Old Church Slavic běžati

First Known Use

Noun

1786, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for phobia

• agoraphobia
• claustrophobia
• homophobia
• hydrophobia
• photophobia
• xenophobia
• rhizobia
• phobia

Kids Definition

phobia

noun

pho·​bia ˈfō-bē-ə 

: an unreasonable, abnormal, and lasting fear of something

Medical Definition

phobia

noun

pho·​bia ˈfō-bē-ə 

: an exaggerated and often disabling fear usually inexplicable to the subject and having sometimes a logical but usually an illogical or symbolic object, class of objects, or situation compare compulsion, obsession