What does phobia mean?
A phobia is an intense, persistent, and often excessive fear of a particular object, situation, or activity. In psychology and psychiatry, the term can identify a recognized condition in which fear leads to distress, avoidance, or significant disruption of everyday life. The word is also used informally for a strong aversion, as in a supposed “phobia” of public speaking, although such usage may exaggerate a normal preference. Phobia is related to the broader words fear and anxiety but is more specific: it implies a fear that is unusually strong, persistent, or difficult to control. The term is especially useful when discussing named conditions, such as specific phobia, and it also forms the ending of many words describing fears, including arachnophobia, claustrophobia, and xenophobia. Its Greek origin in phóbos, meaning fear, helps explain why it has become a productive and recognizable suffix in English.
nounAn intense, persistent, or excessive fear of a particular object, situation, or activity, often reaching the level of a recognized mental disorder. In less formal use, the word can also refer to a strong aversion or fear of something.
- An intense, persistent, or excessive fear of a particular object, situation, or activity, especially when it causes significant distress or impairment.
- In informal or figurative use, a strong dislike or aversion to something.
- A mental disorder characterized by an excessive or unreasonable fear of a specific object, situation, or activity.
"His phobia of public speaking prevented him from accepting the position that required frequent presentations."
"A fear of heights can develop into a specific phobia that makes ordinary travel difficult."
"Her phobia of long meetings was almost humorous, but it also made collaboration frustrating."
"The clinician helped him understand how his specific phobia affected his work and family life."
The regular plural is used for different kinds of fears or phobias.
"The study compared phobias involving animals, heights, and enclosed spaces."
The word phobia comes from the Greek phóbos, meaning fear, and has become the building block of a whole family of names for fears and aversions.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does phobia come from?
Phobia comes from the Greek phóbos, meaning fear, combined with the suffix -ia, which can form a condition or state. The word entered English through Greek and French forms and developed into both a general term for excessive fear and part of a larger family of psychological terminology. French phobie and cognate forms such as Spanish fobia reflect the same Greek source, while phobic is a related English derivative and phobophobia is a later term for fear of fear itself.
Related word forms
How phobia is actually used
In clinical contexts, phobia usually denotes a condition involving excessive fear and impairment. In general use, it is often informal and should not be used as a substitute for describing an ordinary concern or dislike.
Easily confused with phobia
Fear is a natural response to danger, whereas a phobia is an unusually intense, persistent, or excessive fear that may significantly interfere with daily life.