Rare phobias A to Z

Some fears have a name but very few people ever report them. This A to Z brings together the rarer phobias you will find on phobia lists, with a plain explanation of each one.

A rare phobia is still a real fear for the person who has it. The same approach I use for common phobias works for these too, so if one of them is affecting your life, get in touch. For the fears most people search for, see the main phobias section.

At the bottom you will also find a few curious and made-up phobias. They appear on many lists online, but they started as jokes or fiction.

Jump to: A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · K · L · M · N · O · P · Q · R · S · T · U · V · W · X · Z · Curious

A

• Acarophobia
  Fear of itching or of the insects that cause it. An uncommon fear of itching or of the tiny mites that can cause it, from the Greek akari, meaning mite.
• Acerophobia
  Fear of sourness. A rarely reported fear of sour tastes, found mostly on lists of unusual phobias.
• Achievemephobia
  Fear of success. A term on lists of fears for worry about succeeding. It has little clinical documentation behind it.
• Aeroacrophobia
  Fear of open high places. A rarely reported fear of being up high in open spaces.
• Aeronausiphobia
  Fear of vomiting due to airsickness. Worry about being sick through airsickness, related to the fear of vomiting and to fear of flying.
• Agraphobia
  Fear of sexual abuse. A rarely reported term, sometimes confused with the writing disorder agraphia. If this fear is linked to something that happened to you, please talk to your GP or a specialist counsellor.
• Agrizoophobia
  Fear of wild animals. An uncommon fear of wild animals, from the Greek agrios, meaning wild.
• Albuminurophobia
  Fear of kidney disease. A rarely reported fear of kidney disease, found mainly on lists of unusual phobias.
• Alliumphobia
  Fear of garlic, onions and related plants. An uncommon fear of garlic, onions and their relatives, named after the plant genus Allium.
• Allodoxaphobia
  Fear of opinions. A rare term for fear of other people’s opinions, with little clinical evidence behind it.
• Amathophobia
  Fear of dust. A rare fear of dust, also called koniophobia. Both terms are given for the same fear.
• Ambulophobia
  Fear of walking. A rarely reported fear of walking, found mostly on lists of unusual phobias.
• Amnesiphobia
  Fear of amnesia. A rarely reported fear of losing your memory.
• Amychophobia
  Fear of scratches. An uncommon fear of scratches, from the Greek amyche, meaning scratch.
• Anablephobia
  Fear of looking up. A rarely reported fear of looking up.
• Anemophobia
  Fear of wind. An uncommon fear of wind, also known as ancraophobia.
• Angrophobia
  Fear of anger or of becoming angry. A rare fear of anger, either other people’s or your own. The alternative term cholerophobia can also mean fear of cholera.
• Ankylophobia
  Fear of joint immobility. A rarely reported fear of joints becoming stiff or unable to move.
• Anthophobia
  Fear of flowers. An uncommon fear of flowers, also written as anthrophobia.
• Antlophobia
  Fear of floods. An uncommon fear of floods, from the Greek antlia, meaning bilge water.
• Apotemnophobia
  Fear of amputees or of becoming one. A rare fear of amputees or of losing a limb yourself. It is different from body integrity dysphoria.
• Astrophobia
  Fear of stars and celestial space. A rare fear of stars and the night sky, also called siderophobia.
• Asymmetriphobia
  Fear of asymmetry. A rarely reported fear of things that are uneven or lopsided.
• Ataxophobia
  Fear of disorder or untidiness. A rare fear of disorder or untidiness, which can overlap with perfectionism.
• Atephobia
  Fear of ruin or ruins. A rarely reported fear of ruin or of ruined places.
• Atomosophobia
  Fear of atomic explosions. A rare fear of atomic explosions.
• Aulophobia
  Fear of flutes. A rarely reported fear of flutes.
• Aurophobia
  Fear of gold. A rarely reported fear of gold.
• Auroraphobia
  Fear of the Northern Lights. A rarely reported fear of the Northern Lights.
• Autodysomophobia
  Fear of someone with a foul odour. A rarely reported fear of being near someone who smells unpleasant.
• Automysophobia
  Fear of being dirty. A rarely reported fear of being dirty yourself.

B

• Ballistophobia
  Fear of missiles or bullets. A rarely reported fear of missiles or bullets.
• Barophobia
  Fear of gravity. A rarely reported fear of gravity, found mostly on lists of unusual phobias.
• Bathophobia
  Fear of depths. An uncommon fear of depths, close to thalassophobia.
• Batophobia
  Fear of being close to high buildings. A rarely reported fear of being close to tall buildings.
• Bibliophobia
  Fear of books. An uncommon fear of books, though the word is sometimes used loosely for simply disliking them.
• Bogyphobia
  Fear of the bogeyman. A rare fear of the bogeyman, the imaginary figure many of us hear about in childhood.
• Botanophobia
  Fear of plants. An uncommon fear of plants, from the Greek botane, meaning plant.
• Bromidrosiphobia
  Fear of body odour. An uncommon fear of body odour, sometimes written bromidrophobia.
• Bufonophobia
  Fear of toads. An uncommon fear of toads, from the Latin bufo, meaning toad.

C

• Cacophobia
  Fear of ugliness. A rare fear of ugliness, also called aschimophobia.
• Carnophobia
  Fear of meat. A rarely reported fear of meat.
• Catapedaphobia
  Fear of jumping from high places. A rarely reported fear of jumping from high places.
• Chaetophobia
  Fear of hair. A rare fear of hair, with little clinical documentation behind it.
• Chelonaphobia
  Fear of turtles. A rare fear of turtles, with little clinical evidence behind it.
• Chemophobia
  Fear of chemicals. Used both for real anxiety about chemicals and for unscientific suspicion of chemicals in food and products.
• Chiclephobia
  Fear of chewing gum. A rarely reported fear of chewing gum.
• Chirophobia
  Fear of hands. An uncommon fear of hands, from the Greek cheir, meaning hand.
• Chorophobia
  Fear of dancing. An uncommon fear of dancing, from the Greek choros, meaning dance.
• Chrematophobia
  Fear of money. A rare fear of money, also written chrometophobia.
• Chromophobia
  Fear of colours. A rare fear of colours, also called chromatophobia.
• Chronomentrophobia
  Fear of clocks. A rare fear of clocks, found on several lists of unusual phobias.
• Clavicophobia
  Fear of collarbones. A rarely reported fear of collarbones.
• Clinophobia
  Fear of going to bed. An uncommon fear of going to bed, from the Greek kline, meaning bed.
• Cnidophobia
  Fear of stings. An uncommon fear of stings, from the Greek knide, meaning nettle. It is also given for jellyfish stings.
• Coimetrophobia
  Fear of cemeteries. An uncommon fear of cemeteries, from the Greek koimeterion, meaning cemetery.
• Cometophobia
  Fear of comets. A rarely reported fear of comets.
• Consecotaleophobia
  Fear of chopsticks. A rarely reported fear of chopsticks.
• Coprophobia
  Fear of faeces. A rare fear of faeces, sometimes linked to toilet anxiety.
• Cremnophobia
  Fear of precipices. An uncommon fear of precipices, from the Greek kremnos, meaning cliff.
• Cryophobia
  Fear of cold, ice and frost. A rare fear of cold, ice and frost. Several similar words for cold fears are grouped under this one.
• Crystallophobia
  Fear of crystals or glass. A rarely reported fear of crystals or glass.
• Cyberphobia
  Fear of computers. A dated term for fear of computers, still found on some lists.
• Cyclophobia
  Fear of bicycles. A rarely reported fear of bicycles.
• Cymophobia
  Fear of waves. An uncommon fear of waves, from the Greek kyma, meaning wave. Also written kymophobia.
• Cypridophobia
  Fear of prostitutes or venereal disease. A rarely reported term that combines two separate fears, found mostly on lists. If this fear is linked to something that happened to you, please talk to your GP or a specialist counsellor.

D

• Decidophobia
  Fear of making decisions. A rare fear of making decisions.
• Defecaloesiophobia
  Fear of painful or difficult bowel movements. A fear of painful or difficult bowel movements, which is often seen in children.
• Dendrophobia
  Fear of trees. A rare fear of trees, sometimes mentioned in lists of unusual fears.
• Dermatophobia
  Fear of skin disease. A rarely reported fear of skin disease. The word is also used with other meanings.
• Dextrophobia
  Fear of objects on the right side of the body. A rarely reported fear of objects on the right side of the body.
• Diabetophobia
  Fear of diabetes. A rarely reported fear of diabetes.
• Dikephobia
  Fear of justice. A rarely reported fear of justice.
• Dinophobia
  Fear of whirlpools or dizziness. A rarely reported fear of whirlpools or of feeling dizzy.
• Diplophobia
  Fear of double vision. A rarely reported fear of double vision.
• Dipsophobia
  Fear of drinking. A rare fear of drinking, which may overlap with a fear of choking.
• Dishabiliophobia
  Fear of undressing in front of someone. A rare fear of undressing in front of someone.
• Disposophobia
  Fear of throwing things out. A rare fear of throwing things away, often linked to hoarding.
• Domatophobia
  Fear of houses and home surroundings. A rare fear of houses and home surroundings. Oikophobia is also used politically for dislike of one’s own culture.
• Doraphobia
  Fear of fur and animal skins. A rarely reported fear of fur and animal skins.
• Doxophobia
  Fear of expressing opinions or receiving praise. A rare fear of giving your opinion or being praised.
• Dystychiphobia
  Fear of accidents. An uncommon fear of accidents.

E

• Ecclesiophobia
  Fear of church. A rare fear of church, one of the fears tied to religious settings.
• Ecophobia
  Fear of catastrophic environmental change. A fear of catastrophic environmental change. It is narrower than eco-anxiety, which is a wider idea.
• Electrophobia
  Fear of electricity. A rare fear of electricity.
• Eleutherophobia
  Fear of freedom. A rare fear of freedom, from the Greek eleutheria, meaning freedom.
• Eosophobia
  Fear of dawn. A rarely reported fear of dawn.
• Epistaxiophobia
  Fear of nosebleeds. An uncommon fear of nosebleeds, from the Greek epistaxis, meaning nosebleed.
• Epistemophobia
  Fear of knowledge. A rarely reported fear of knowledge.
• Erotophobia
  Fear of sexual love or sexual abuse. A rare term for a fear linked to sexual love or sexual abuse. If this fear is linked to something that happened to you, please talk to your GP or a specialist counsellor.
• Euphobia
  Fear of hearing good news. A rarely reported fear of hearing good news.
• Eurotophobia
  Fear of female genitals. Listed more as an aversion than a fear, and not a common one. If this fear is linked to something that happened to you, please talk to your GP or a specialist counsellor.

F

• Febriphobia
  Fear of fever. Used in children’s health writing for parents’ anxiety about fever.

G

• Geliophobia
  Fear of laughter. A rarely reported fear of laughter.
• Geniophobia
  Fear of chins. A rare fear of chins, sometimes mentioned in lists of unusual fears.
• Genuphobia
  Fear of knees. A rare fear of knees.
• Gerontophobia
  Fear of elderly people. A rare fear of elderly people. The word is also used for prejudice against older people, while fear of ageing itself is gerascophobia.
• Geumophobia
  Fear of taste. A rarely reported fear of taste.
• Graphophobia
  Fear of writing, especially in public. A rare fear of writing, especially in public. Scriptophobia is the term given for writing in public.

H

• Hadephobia
  Fear of hell. A rare fear of hell, one of the fears with a religious theme.
• Hagiophobia
  Fear of saints or holy things. A rarely reported fear of saints or holy things.
• Hamartophobia
  Fear of sinning. A rare fear of sinning, tied to religious scrupulosity.
• Harpaxophobia
  Fear of being robbed. An uncommon fear of being robbed, from the Greek harpax, meaning robber.
• Hellenologophobia
  Fear of Greek terms or complex scientific terminology. A rarely reported fear of Greek terms or complex scientific language.
• Heptadekaphobia
  Fear of the number 17. A fear of the number 17, based on superstition and notably found in Italy.
• Heresyphobia
  Fear of challenges to official doctrine. A rarely reported fear of ideas that challenge official doctrine.
• Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia
  Fear of the number 666. A superstition-based fear of the number 666.
• Hierophobia
  Fear of priests or sacred things. A rare fear of priests or sacred things, with a religious theme.
• Homichlophobia
  Fear of fog. An uncommon fear of fog, from the Greek homichle, meaning mist.
• Homilophobia
  Fear of sermons. A rarely reported fear of sermons.
• Hoplophobia
  Fear of firearms. A fear of firearms. The word is also used in political argument and is not a clinical diagnosis.
• Hormephobia
  Fear of shock. A rarely reported fear of shock.
• Hyalophobia
  Fear of glass. A rarely reported fear of glass.
• Hydrargyophobia
  Fear of mercury-containing medicines. An archaic term for fear of medicines containing mercury.
• Hygrophobia
  Fear of liquids, dampness or moisture. A rare fear of liquids, dampness or moisture.
• Hylophobia
  Fear of forests. A rare fear of forests. Nyctohylophobia is given for forests at night.
• Hypengyophobia
  Fear of responsibility. A rare fear of responsibility, from the Greek hypengyos, meaning responsible.

I

• Ideophobia
  Fear of ideas. A rarely reported fear of ideas.
• Illyngophobia
  Fear of vertigo or dizziness when looking down. A rarely reported fear of feeling dizzy when looking down, which relates to heights.
• Isopterophobia
  Fear of termites. An uncommon fear of termites, named after the insect order Isoptera.

K

• Kathisophobia
  Fear of sitting down. A rare fear of sitting down.
• Kenophobia
  Fear of voids and empty spaces. A rare fear of voids and empty spaces, from the Greek kenos, meaning empty.
• Kleptophobia
  Fear of stealing. A rarely reported fear of stealing.
• Koinoniphobia
  Fear of rooms full of people. A rare fear of rooms full of people, which overlaps with enochlophobia.
• Kolpophobia
  Fear of genitals, especially female. A rarely reported term, found only on lists of unusual fears. If this fear is linked to something that happened to you, please talk to your GP or a specialist counsellor.
• Kopophobia
  Fear of fatigue. An uncommon fear of fatigue, from the Greek kopos, meaning weariness.
• Kosmikophobia
  Fear of cosmic phenomena and outer space. A rare fear of cosmic phenomena and outer space.
• Kyphophobia
  Fear of stooping. A rarely reported fear of stooping.

L

• Lachanophobia
  Fear of vegetables. An uncommon fear of vegetables, from the Greek lachanon, meaning vegetable.
• Laliophobia
  Fear of speaking. A rare fear of speaking, also written lalophobia.
• Leprophobia
  Fear of leprosy. A rarely reported fear of leprosy.
• Leukophobia
  Fear of the colour white. A rare fear of the colour white.
• Levophobia
  Fear of objects on the left side of the body. A rare fear of objects on the left side of the body. Sinistrophobia is also given as a fear of left-handed people.
• Limnophobia
  Fear of lakes. An uncommon fear of lakes, from the Greek limne, meaning lake.
• Linonophobia
  Fear of string. A rare fear of string.
• Liticaphobia
  Fear of lawsuits. A rarely reported fear of lawsuits.
• Logophobia
  Fear of words. A rarely reported fear of words. It is different from the fear of long words.
• Luiphobia
  Fear of syphilis. A fear of syphilis, historical in origin.
• Lutraphobia
  Fear of otters. A rare fear of otters, with little clinical evidence behind it.
• Lyssophobia
  Fear of rabies or of going mad. A rare fear of rabies or of going mad, from lyssa, an old word for rabies.

M

• Macrophobia
  Fear of long waits. A rare fear of long waits. It is not the same as a fear of large things.
• Mageirocophobia
  Fear of cooking. A fear of cooking, which can involve worry about food poisoning or burns.
• Malaxophobia
  Fear of love play. A rarely reported term, found only on lists of unusual fears. If this fear is linked to something that happened to you, please talk to your GP or a specialist counsellor.
• Mastigophobia
  Fear of punishment. A rare fear of punishment, from the Greek mastix, meaning whip.
• Mechanophobia
  Fear of machines. A rare fear of machines, close to technophobia.
• Medomalacuphobia
  Fear of losing an erection. A rarely reported term, found only on lists of unusual fears. If this fear is linked to something that happened to you, please talk to your GP or a specialist counsellor.
• Medorthophobia
  Fear of an erect penis. A rarely reported term, found only on lists of unusual fears. If this fear is linked to something that happened to you, please talk to your GP or a specialist counsellor.
• Melanophobia
  Fear of the colour black. A rare fear of the colour black.
• Melophobia
  Fear of music. A rarely reported fear of music.
• Meningitophobia
  Fear of brain disease or meningitis. A rare fear of brain disease or meningitis.
• Menophobia
  Fear of menstruation. A rarely reported fear of menstruation.
• Merinthophobia
  Fear of being bound or tied up. A rarely reported fear of being bound or tied up.
• Metallophobia
  Fear of metal. A rarely reported fear of metal.
• Meteorophobia
  Fear of meteors. A rarely reported fear of meteors.
• Methyphobia
  Fear of alcohol. A rare fear of alcohol, sometimes linked to a fear of losing control.
• Microphobia
  Fear of small things. A rare fear of small things.
• Mnemophobia
  Fear of memories. A rarely reported fear of memories.
• Monopathophobia
  Fear of a specific disease. A rarely reported fear of one particular disease.
• Motorphobia
  Fear of automobiles. A rarely reported fear of cars.
• Mottephobia
  Fear of moths. A fear of moths, often reported as worry about them flying at you or touching your skin.
• Mycophobia
  Fear of mushrooms. An uncommon fear of mushrooms, from the Greek mykes, meaning fungus.
• Mythophobia
  Fear of myths, stories or false statements. A rarely reported fear of myths, stories or false statements.
• Myxophobia
  Fear of slime. A rarely reported fear of slime.

N

• Neopharmaphobia
  Fear of new drugs. A rarely reported fear of new drugs.
• Neophobia
  Fear of newness and novelty. A fear of anything new. The word is also used for animal behaviour and for children’s wariness of new foods.
• Nephophobia
  Fear of clouds. An uncommon fear of clouds, from the Greek nephos, meaning cloud.
• Nomatophobia
  Fear of names or of hearing a certain word. A rarely reported fear of names or of hearing a certain word.
• Nostophobia
  Fear of returning home. An uncommon fear of returning home, from the Greek nostos, meaning homecoming.
• Novercaphobia
  Fear of one’s stepmother. A rare fear of your stepmother, from the Latin noverca, meaning stepmother.
• Nucleomituphobia
  Fear of nuclear weapons. A rare fear of nuclear weapons.

O

• Octophobia
  Fear of the number 8. A rare fear of the number 8.
• Oenophobia
  Fear of wine. A rare fear of wine, from the Greek oinos, meaning wine.
• Olfactophobia
  Fear of smells. A rare fear of smells. Osmophobia also describes sensitivity to smells in migraine, which is a different matter.
• Ommetaphobia
  Fear of eyes. A rare fear of eyes.
• Omphalophobia
  Fear of belly buttons. A rare fear of belly buttons, sometimes mentioned in lists of unusual fears.
• Oneirogmophobia
  Fear of wet dreams. A rarely reported term, found only on lists of unusual fears. If this fear is linked to something that happened to you, please talk to your GP or a specialist counsellor.
• Oneirophobia
  Fear of dreams. A rare fear of dreams.
• Optophobia
  Fear of opening one’s eyes. A rare fear of opening your eyes, with little clinical evidence behind it.
• Orthophobia
  Fear of property. A rarely reported fear of property.
• Ostraconophobia
  Fear of shellfish. A rare fear of shellfish, which can overlap with simply avoiding the food.
• Ouranophobia
  Fear of heaven. A rarely reported fear of heaven.

P

• Panphobia
  Fear of everything. A general fear of everything with no clear cause. It is not a clinical diagnosis.
• Papaphobia
  Fear of the Pope. A rarely reported fear of the Pope.
• Papyrophobia
  Fear of paper. A rare fear of paper.
• Paralipophobia
  Fear of neglecting duty. A rarely reported fear of neglecting your duty.
• Parasitophobia
  Fear of parasites. A fear of parasites. It is different from delusional parasitosis, which is a fixed false belief.
• Patroiophobia
  Fear of heredity. A rarely reported fear of heredity.
• Pediculophobia
  Fear of lice. A fear of lice, often linked to head lice outbreaks in schools.
• Pedophobia
  Fear of babies and children. A rare fear of babies and children.
• Peladophobia
  Fear of bald people. A rarely reported fear of bald people.
• Pellagrophobia
  Fear of pellagra. A rarely reported fear of pellagra, a historical nutritional disease.
• Peniaphobia
  Fear of poverty. An uncommon fear of poverty, from the Greek penia, meaning poverty.
• Pentheraphobia
  Fear of one’s mother-in-law. A rare fear of your mother-in-law.
• Peristerophobia
  Fear of pigeons. An uncommon fear of pigeons, from the Greek peristera, meaning pigeon.
• Phalacrophobia
  Fear of becoming bald. An uncommon fear of becoming bald, from the Greek phalakros, meaning bald.
• Phallophobia
  Fear of erections or penises. A rare term for fear of erections or penises. If this fear is linked to something that happened to you, please talk to your GP or a specialist counsellor.
• Phengophobia
  Fear of daylight. A rarely reported fear of daylight.
• Philemaphobia
  Fear of kissing. A rare fear of kissing.
• Philosophobia
  Fear of philosophy. A rarely reported fear of philosophy.
• Phronemophobia
  Fear of thinking. A rarely reported fear of thinking.
• Phthisiophobia
  Fear of tuberculosis. A fear of tuberculosis, historical in origin and kept alive in language.
• Phyllophobia
  Fear of leaves. A rare fear of leaves, with very little written about it.
• Placophobia
  Fear of tombstones. A rarely reported fear of tombstones.
• Plutophobia
  Fear of wealth. A rare fear of wealth. It has nothing to do with the planet Pluto.
• Pneumatiphobia
  Fear of spirits. A rarely reported fear of spirits.
• Podophobia
  Fear of feet. An uncommon fear of feet, from the Greek pous, meaning foot.
• Pogonophobia
  Fear of beards. An uncommon fear of beards, from the Greek pogon, meaning beard.
• Poliosophobia
  Fear of poliomyelitis. A rarely reported fear of polio.
• Ponophobia
  Fear of overworking or of pain. A rarely reported fear of overworking or of pain.
• Porphyrophobia
  Fear of the colour purple. A rare fear of the colour purple.
• Potamophobia
  Fear of rivers and running water. An uncommon fear of rivers and running water, from the Greek potamos, meaning river.
• Proctophobia
  Fear of the rectum or rectal disease. A rare fear of the rectum or rectal disease.
• Psellismophobia
  Fear of stuttering. A rarely reported fear of stuttering.
• Pteridophobia
  Fear of ferns. A rare fear of ferns.
• Pteronophobia
  Fear of feathers. A fear of feathers, often given as worry about being tickled by them.
• Pupaphobia
  Fear of puppets. A rarely reported fear of puppets.

Q

• Quadriplegiphobia
  Fear of becoming quadriplegic. A rare fear of becoming quadriplegic.
• Quintaphobia
  Fear of the number five. A rarely reported fear of the number five.

R

• Radiophobia
  Fear of radiation and X-rays. A fear of radiation and X-rays, used in both clinical and public health settings.
• Rhabdophobia
  Fear of being beaten with a rod, or of criticism. A rarely reported fear of being beaten with a rod, or of criticism.
• Rhytiphobia
  Fear of getting wrinkles. A rarely reported fear of getting wrinkles.
• Robophobia
  Fear of or aversion to robots. Used in robotics research, and best seen as an attitude to robots rather than a clinical phobia.

S

• Samhainophobia
  Fear of Halloween. A rare fear of Halloween, named after the Celtic festival Samhain.
• Satanophobia
  Fear of Satan. A rare fear of Satan, with a religious theme.
• Scabiophobia
  Fear of scabies. A rarely reported fear of scabies.
• Scelerophobia
  Fear of crime and bad men. A rare fear of crime. Some lists instead give it as a fear of bad men or burglars.
• Sciophobia
  Fear of shadows. An uncommon fear of shadows, from the Greek skia, meaning shadow.
• Scotomaphobia
  Fear of blindness in the visual field. A rarely reported fear of blindness in part of the visual field.
• Selaphobia
  Fear of light flashes. A rarely reported fear of flashes of light.
• Selenophobia
  Fear of the moon. An uncommon fear of the moon, from the Greek selene, meaning moon.
• Seplophobia
  Fear of decaying matter. A rarely reported fear of decaying matter.
• Sesquipedalophobia
  Fear of long words. The more plausible name for a fear of long words, though it is still rare.
• Sexophobia
  Fear of sexual organs or activities. A rare term for fear of sexual organs or activities. If this fear is linked to something that happened to you, please talk to your GP or a specialist counsellor.
• Sidonglobophobia
  Fear of cotton wool balls. A rare fear of cotton wool balls, found on only one list.
• Soceraphobia
  Fear of parents-in-law. A rare fear of your parents-in-law.
• Sophophobia
  Fear of learning. A rarely reported fear of learning.
• Soteriophobia
  Fear of depending on others. A rarely reported fear of depending on others.
• Stasiphobia
  Fear of standing or walking. A rare fear of standing or walking.
• Staurophobia
  Fear of crosses and the crucifix. A rare fear of crosses and the crucifix, from the Greek stauros, meaning cross.
• Stenophobia
  Fear of narrow things or places. A rare fear of narrow things or places.
• Symbolophobia
  Fear of symbolism. A rarely reported fear of symbolism.
• Symmetrophobia
  Fear of symmetry. A rarely reported fear of symmetry.
• Syngenesophobia
  Fear of relatives. A rarely reported fear of relatives.

T

• Tachophobia
  Fear of speed. An uncommon fear of speed, from the Greek tachos, meaning speed.
• Taeniophobia
  Fear of tapeworms. A rare fear of tapeworms, also written teniophobia.
• Tapinophobia
  Fear of being contagious. A rarely reported fear of being contagious.
• Taurophobia
  Fear of bulls. An uncommon fear of bulls, from the Latin taurus, meaning bull.
• Teratophobia
  Fear of giving birth to a baby with a malformation. Sometimes seen as part of pregnancy anxiety. If this fear is linked to something that happened to you, please talk to your GP or midwife.
• Tetanophobia
  Fear of lockjaw and tetanus. A rare fear of lockjaw and tetanus.
• Tetraphobia
  Fear of the number 4. A fear of the number 4, based on superstition and notably found in East Asian cultures.
• Textophobia
  Fear of certain fabrics. A rarely reported fear of certain fabrics.
• Theatrophobia
  Fear of theatres. A rarely reported fear of theatres.
• Theophobia
  Fear of God or gods. A rare fear of God or gods, with a religious theme.
• Thermophobia
  Fear of heat. A fear of heat. The word is used both for fear and for heat intolerance.
• Topophobia
  Fear of certain places or situations, such as stage fright. A rare fear of certain places or situations, such as stage fright.
• Tremophobia
  Fear of trembling. A rarely reported fear of trembling.
• Trichinophobia
  Fear of trichinosis. A rarely reported fear of trichinosis.
• Trichophobia
  Fear of hair, or hair loss. A rare fear of hair, or of hair loss.
• Trudoculphobia
  Fear of a sharp object piercing the eye. A rare fear of a sharp object piercing the eye, found on only one list.
• Turophobia
  Fear of cheese. An uncommon fear of cheese, from the Greek tyros, meaning cheese.
• Tyrannophobia
  Fear of tyrants. A rarely reported fear of tyrants.

U

• Urophobia
  Fear of urine or urinating. A rare fear of urine or urinating.

V

• Vestiphobia
  Fear of clothing. A rarely reported fear of clothing.
• Vitricophobia
  Fear of one’s stepfather. A rare fear of your stepfather, from the Latin vitricus, meaning stepfather.

W

• Wiccaphobia
  Fear of witches and witchcraft. A rare fear of witches and witchcraft.

X

• Xanthophobia
  Fear of the colour yellow. A rare fear of the colour yellow, often reported as linked to a childhood event.
• Xenoglossophobia
  Fear of foreign languages. A fear of foreign languages, studied in language learning as foreign language anxiety.
• Xerophobia
  Fear of dryness. A rarely reported fear of dryness.
• Xylophobia
  Fear of wooden objects. A rarely reported fear of wooden objects.
• Xyrophobia
  Fear of razors. A rarely reported fear of razors.

Z

• Zelophobia
  Fear of jealousy. A rarely reported fear of jealousy.
• Zemmiphobia
  Fear of the great mole rat. A rarely reported fear of the great mole rat, with no clinical documentation found.

Curious and made-up phobias

These names turn up on lots of phobia lists, but they began as jokes, cartoons or fiction rather than as fears people actually report. They are here so you know where they came from.

• Aibohphobia
  Fear of palindromes. A joke term, since the word is itself a palindrome. It is not a recognised fear.
• Amphiblestronophobia
  Fear of nets. Found on one online list only, with no record of it as a real fear.
• Anatidaephobia
  Fear of being watched by a duck. Made famous by Gary Larson’s The Far Side cartoon, it’s a joke rather than a recognised fear.
• Anoraknophobia
  Fear of anoraks combined with spiders. A comic mash-up of anorak and arachnophobia, used as a title for fun. It is not a real fear.
• Arachibutyrophobia
  Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth. A humorous word. Real fears of choking and sticky foods do exist, and those can be helped.
• Bananaphobia
  Fear of bananas. An internet list term with no clinical documentation, so best treated as a bit of fun.
• Charlophobia
  Fear of people named Charlotte or Charlie. A made-up fear, meant as a joke rather than a recognised fear.
• Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia
  Fear of long words. A humorous word that is itself very long, which is the joke. Sesquipedalophobia is the more plausible term.
• Ipovlopsychophobia
  Fear of having your picture taken. Found on one online list only, and it looks like an invented term.
• Keanuphobia
  Fear of Keanu Reeves. A fictional fear taken from a Dean Koontz novel, not a recognised phobia.
• Kinemortophobia
  Fear of zombies. An internet list term, probably inspired by films, and not a recognised phobia.
• Luposlipaphobia
  Fear of being chased by timber wolves around a kitchen table in socks. A humorous term credited to Gary Larson, so it’s a joke rather than a recognised fear.
• Nihilophobia
  Fear of nothingness. A fictional fear from Star Trek: Voyager, not a recognised phobia.
• Nlaiguphobia
  Fear of tin openers. Reported in a UK newspaper list of unusual fears, though the spelling looks invented.
• Phartophobia
  Fear of passing wind in public. Worry about passing wind in public is a real social anxiety theme, but this word is a joke.
• Semaphobia
  Fear of web developers using Semantic Web technologies. A coined joke term from the web developer crowd, not a real fear.
• Spargarophobia
  Fear of asparagus. Found in a reference table with no supporting documentation, so treat it as a curiosity.
• Venustraphobia
  Fear of beautiful women. A humorous term that has appeared in the press. It is not a recognised phobia.
• Zuigerphobia
  Fear of vacuum cleaners. Found on one list only, with no documentation behind it.

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