A phobia is a very strong irrational fear or hatred of something.
The man had a phobia about flying. [+ about/of]
Synonyms: fear, horror, terror, thing about [informal] More Synonyms of phobia
-phobia
(-foʊbiə)
suffix
-phobia occurs in words which refer to a very strong, irrational fear or hatred of people or things of a particular kind.
The place seethed with Europhobia.
Technophobia increases with age.
phobia in British English
(ˈfəʊbɪə)
noun
psychiatry
an abnormal intense and irrational fear of a given situation, organism, or object
Also called: phobism (ˈfəʊbɪzəm)
Word origin
C19: from Greek phobos fear
-phobia in British English
combining form in countable noun
indicating an extreme abnormal fear of or aversion to
acrophobia
claustrophobia
Derived forms
-phobic
combining form in adjective
Word origin
via Latin from Greek, from phobos fear
phobia in American English
(ˈfoʊbiə; ˈfoʊbjə)
noun
an irrational, excessive, and persistent fear of something in particular
Word origin
ModL < Gr phobos, fear: see -phobe
-phobia in American English
(ˈfoʊbiə; ˈfoʊbjə)
fear, dread, hatred
photophobia
Word origin
Gr -phobia < phobos, fear: see -phobe
Examples of 'phobia' in a sentence
phobia
Has my son got a phobia about school?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
School phobia is intense anxiety and fear of going to school.
Steinberg, Laurence & Levine, Ann You and Your Adolescent: A Parents' Guide for Ages 10 to 20 (1990)
How tragic that these dark and largely irrational phobias have resurfaced.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
It is often linked to excessive shyness or a social phobia.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Practical preparations help conquer vague fears and my leaflet about fears and phobias will help.
The Sun (2009)
Experts say this explains why anxiety and phobias can run in families.
The Sun (2014)
Let me tell you about my phobia of fat.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Other top ten phobias include a fear of clowns and of dying.
The Sun (2011)
It has left me with a lifelong phobia about necklaces.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
My free leaflet explains how to resolve fears and phobias.
The Sun (2008)
But a growing number accept school phobia as a valid reason to keep their little ones out of the classroom.
The Sun (2013)
If you have a genuine phobia of school, they can arrange help.
The Sun (2007)
Or see a shrink: you might have some kind of phobia or anxiety problem.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Those with social phobia have a profound and enduring fear of negative evaluation in social situations where they panic that they will shame themselves.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
A phobia is an irrational fear such as a fear of flying or snakes or heights.
Austin, Valerie Self-Hypnosis (1994)
What is your biggest phobia?
The Sun (2013)
Take social phobia, for example.
The Sun (2010)
Then, last year, commitment phobia in men took an interesting turn.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
But he insisted: 'Our irrational phobias could become a thing of the past.
The Sun (2010)
When he had done this it became clear that much of the misery in his life came down to one phobia, a typical social phobia.
Hambly, Dr Kenneth Banish Anxiety - how to stop worrying and take charge of your life (1991)
For all the anxious women fighting a commitment phobia, be it part of our nature or nurtured, there are some who simply accept it and enjoy.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Word lists with
phobia
Psychology terms
In other languages
phobia
British English: phobia /ˈfəʊbɪə/ NOUN
A phobia is an unreasonably strong fear of something.
He had a phobia about flying.
American English: phobia
Arabic: خَوْفٌ مَرَضِيّ
Brazilian Portuguese: fobia
Chinese: 恐惧症
Croatian: fobija
Czech: fóbie
Danish: fobi
Dutch: fobie
European Spanish: fobia
Finnish: fobia
French: phobie
German: Phobie
Greek: φοβία
Italian: fobia
Japanese: 恐怖症
Korean: 공포증
Norwegian: fobi
Polish: fobia
European Portuguese: fobia
Romanian: fobie
Russian: фобия
Latin American Spanish: fobia
Swedish: fobi
Thai: ความหวาดกลัว
Turkish: fobi
Ukrainian: фобія
Vietnamese: nối sợ hãi
Chinese translation of 'phobia'
phobia
(ˈfəubjə)
n(c)
恐惧(懼) (kǒngjù) (种(種), zhǒng)
a phobia about sth/about doing sth对(對)某事/做某事的恐惧(懼)症 (duì mǒushì/zuò mǒushì de kǒngjùzhèng)
(noun)
Definition
an intense and irrational fear of a given situation or thing
She has a phobia of spiders.
Synonyms
fear
Flying was his greatest fear.
horror
his horror of snakes
terror
thing about (informal)
obsession
dislike
The two women viewed each other with dislike and suspicion.
dread
She thought with dread of the cold winters to come.
hatred
He has been accused of stirring up hatred between nations.
loathing
She looked at him with loathing.
distaste
He looked at her with distaste.
revulsion
His voice was filled with revulsion.
aversion to
repulsion
She gave a shudder of repulsion.
irrational fear
detestation
They were united in their detestation of the government.
overwhelming anxiety about
Opposites
liking
,
love
,
passion
,
fancy
,
bent
,
inclination
,
penchant
,
fondness
,
soft spot
,
partiality
subject word lists
See Phobias
Additional synonyms
in the sense of detestation
Definition
intense hatred
They were united in their detestation of the government.
Synonyms
hatred,
disgust,
loathing,
hostility,
dislike,
animosity,
aversion,
revulsion,
antipathy,
abomination,
animus,
abhorrence,
repugnance,
odium (formal),
execration
in the sense of dislike
Definition
a feeling of not liking something or someone
The two women viewed each other with dislike and suspicion.
Synonyms
hatred,
disgust,
hostility,
loathing,
disapproval,
distaste,
animosity,
aversion,
antagonism,
displeasure,
antipathy,
enmity,
animus,
disinclination,
repugnance,
odium (formal),
detestation,
disapprobation
in the sense of distaste
Definition
a dislike of something offensive
He looked at her with distaste.
Synonyms
dislike,
horror,
disgust,
loathing,
aversion,
revulsion,
displeasure,
antipathy,
abhorrence,
disinclination,
repugnance,
odium (formal),
disfavour,
detestation,
disrelish
Synonyms of 'phobia'
phobia
Explore 'phobia' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of dread
Definition
great fear
She thought with dread of the cold winters to come.
Synonyms
fear,
alarm,
horror,
terror,
dismay,
fright,
apprehension,
consternation,
trepidation (formal),
fearfulness,
apprehensiveness,
affright
in the sense of hatred
Definition
intense dislike
He has been accused of stirring up hatred between nations.