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-PHOBIA: the Greek suffix meaning “fear”

-PHOBIA comes from Greek and means “fear”. You can see it in agoraphobia, arachnophobia and claustrophobia. WordPith uses it in 185 words.

Meaning
fear
Origin
Greek
Type
Suffix
Word lists
Core Roots, Phobias & Manias

Words built from -PHOBIA

AGORAPHOBIA

agoraphobia

Fear of open or public places

The agora was the Athenian marketplace: crowds, noise, no way out.

ARACHNOPHOBIA

arachnophobia

Fear of spiders

Arachne wove better than Athena and was turned into a spider for it.

CLAUSTROPHOBIA

claustrophobia

Fear of enclosed spaces

Latin claustrum, a bolt or an enclosure — the same root as cloister.

HYDROPHOBIA

hydrophobia

An intense fear of water

Once a common name for rabies, because patients struggled to swallow water.

ABLUTOPHOBIA

ablutophobia

Fear of bathing

Greek abluto-, washing, plus phobos, fear.

ACAROPHOBIA

acarophobia

Fear of mites and small insects

Greek acaro-, a mite, plus phobos, fear.

ACROPHOBIA

acrophobia

Fear of heights

High plus fear. Greek akros meant the topmost point, as in Acropolis.

AEROPHOBIA

aerophobia

Fear of flying

Air plus fear.

AGYROPHOBIA

agyrophobia

Fear of crossing the road

Greek agyro-, a street, plus phobos, fear.

AICHMOPHOBIA

aichmophobia

Fear of sharp objects

Greek aichmo-, a point, plus phobos, fear.

ALGOPHOBIA

algophobia

Fear of pain

Greek algo-, pain, plus phobos, fear.

AMAXOPHOBIA

amaxophobia

Fear of riding in a vehicle

Greek amaxo-, a wagon, plus phobos, fear.

ANCRAOPHOBIA

ancraophobia

Fear of draughts

Greek ancrao-, wind, plus phobos, fear.

ANDROPHOBIA

androphobia

Fear of men

Greek andro-, a man, plus phobos, fear.

ANEMOPHOBIA

anemophobia

Fear of wind

Greek anemo-, wind, plus phobos, fear.

ANTHOPHOBIA

anthophobia

Fear of flowers

Greek antho-, a flower, plus phobos, fear.

ANTLOPHOBIA

antlophobia

Fear of floods

Greek antlo-, a flood, plus phobos, fear.

APIPHOBIA

apiphobia

Fear of bees kept in hives

Greek api-, a bee, plus phobos, fear.

ARITHMOPHOBIA

arithmophobia

Fear of numbers

Greek arithmo-, a number, plus phobos, fear.

ASTRAPHOBIA

astraphobia

Fear of thunder and lightning

Greek astrape, lightning flash. Dogs have it too.

ATELOPHOBIA

atelophobia

Fear of imperfection

Greek atelo-, incomplete, plus phobos, fear.

AULOPHOBIA

aulophobia

Fear of the flute

Greek aulo-, a flute, plus phobos, fear.

AUTOPHOBIA

autophobia

Fear of being alone

Greek auto-, self, plus phobos, fear.

BACTERIOPHOBIA

bacteriophobia

Fear of bacteria

Greek bacterio-, a little rod, plus phobos, fear.

BAROPHOBIA

barophobia

Fear of gravity

Greek baro-, weight, plus phobos, fear.

BATHOPHOBIA

bathophobia

Fear of depths

Greek batho-, depth, plus phobos, fear.

BATRACHOPHOBIA

batrachophobia

Fear of frogs and toads

Greek batracho-, a frog, plus phobos, fear.

BELONEPHOBIA

belonephobia

Fear of needles

Greek belone-, a needle, plus phobos, fear.

BIBLIOPHOBIA

bibliophobia

Fear of books

Greek biblio-, a book, plus phobos, fear.

BRONTOPHOBIA

brontophobia

Fear of thunder

Greek bronto-, thunder, plus phobos, fear.

CACOPHOBIA

cacophobia

Fear of ugliness

Greek caco-, bad, ugly, plus phobos, fear.

CARDIOPHOBIA

cardiophobia

Fear of heart disease

Greek cardio-, the heart, plus phobos, fear.

CATOPTROPHOBIA

catoptrophobia

Fear of one’s own reflection

Greek catoptro-, a mirror, plus phobos, fear.

CHEMOPHOBIA

chemophobia

Fear of chemicals

Greek chemo-, chemical, plus phobos, fear.

CHIONOPHOBIA

chionophobia

Fear of snow

Greek chiono-, snow, plus phobos, fear.

CHIROPHOBIA

chirophobia

Fear of hands

Greek chiro-, a hand, plus phobos, fear.

CHOROPHOBIA

chorophobia

Fear of dancing

Greek choro-, a dance, plus phobos, fear.

CHROMOPHOBIA

chromophobia

Fear of colours

Greek chromo-, colour, plus phobos, fear.

CHRONOPHOBIA

chronophobia

Fear of time passing

Greek chrono-, time, plus phobos, fear.

CIBOPHOBIA

cibophobia

Fear of food

Greek cibo-, food, plus phobos, fear.

More words with -PHOBIA: climacophobia, coprophobia, cryophobia, cyberphobia, cynophobia, decidophobia, demophobia, dendrophobia, dermatophobia, domatophobia, doraphobia, dromophobia, eisoptrophobia, eleutherophobia, emetophobia, enochlophobia, ephebiphobia, epistemophobia, eremophobia, ergophobia, erythrophobia, frigophobia, gamophobia, geniophobia, gephyrophobia, gerascophobia, gerontophobia, glossophobia, graphophobia, gymnophobia, gynophobia, hadephobia, hamartophobia, haptophobia, harpaxophobia, hedonophobia, heliophobia, helminthophobia, hemophobia, herpetophobia, hierophobia, hippophobia, hodophobia, hoplophobia, hygrophobia, hypnophobia, hypsophobia, ichthyophobia, isolophobia, kenophobia, keraunophobia, kinesophobia, lachanophobia, lalophobia, leukophobia, levophobia, ligyrophobia, limnophobia, linonophobia, logophobia, lyssophobia, macrophobia, mastigophobia, mechanophobia, megalophobia, melanophobia, melissophobia, menophobia, merinthophobia, meteorophobia, musophobia, mycophobia, myrmecophobia, necrophobia, neophobia, nephophobia, nomophobia, nosophobia, nyctophobia, oenophobia, olfactophobia, ombrophobia, oneirophobia, onomatophobia, ornithophobia, pantophobia, pathophobia, pediophobia, phagophobia, pharmacophobia, phasmophobia, philophobia, photophobia, placophobia, pnigophobia, pogonophobia, potamophobia, pteronophobia, pyrophobia, radiophobia, rhabdophobia, rupophobia, scelerophobia, sciophobia, selenophobia, siderophobia, sitophobia, somniphobia, sophophobia, spectrophobia, staurophobia, stenophobia, symmetrophobia, taphophobia, technophobia, teratophobia, thalassophobia, thanatophobia, thermophobia, tocophobia, tomophobia, toxicophobia, traumatophobia, tremophobia, trichophobia, tropophobia, trypophobia, uranophobia, verminophobia, xanthophobia, xenophobia, xerophobia, xylophobia, zelophobia, zoophobia, ailurophobia, coulrophobia, entomophobia, microphobia, mysophobia, ophidiophobia, phonophobia, sesquipedalophobia, triskaidekaphobia, trypanophobia.

Quick check

1. Which word means: Fear of colours?

2. Which word means: Fear of snow?

3. Which word means: An intense fear of water?

Roots that pair with -PHOBIA

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