A Comprehensive List of Phobias and Obscure Fears
Layne is an active freelance writer. She enjoys staying up-to-date on trends, media, and emerging topics.
A list of common and uncommon phobias.
A List of Common and Strange Phobias
"Phobia" is an ancient Greek word that translates to an extreme or irrational fear of something. Someone who is fearful of needles, for example, is an aichmophile. When used as an adjective, you might say aichmophobic. The complete opposite of phobia is philia (obsessive).
Different Types of Phobias
Here’s a comprehensive list of phobias, ranging from common phobias like a fear of spiders or needles to rare phobias like a fear of sunlight or mannequins.
A
A fear . . .
- Achluophobia: of the dark
- Acrohobia: of heights
- Aerophobia: of flying
- Algophobia: of pain
- Aichmophobia: of needles
- Androphobia: of men
- Ailurophobia: of cats
- Anthropophobia: of people
- Anuptophobia: of being single
- Apiophobia: of bees
- Arachnophobia: of spiders
- Ataxophobia: of mess
- Atychiphobia: of failure
- Automatonophobia: of mannequins
Anuptophobia, a fear fo being single
B
- Baceriophobia: of bacteria
- Barophobia: of gravity
- Bibliophobia: of books
- Botanophobia: of plants
- Brontophobia: of lighting and thunder
Botanophobia, a fear of plants
C
- Catoptrophobia: of mirrors
- Cenophobia: of new things and ideas
- Chorophobia: of dancing
- Chromophobia: of colors
- Chronophobia: of time
- Claustrophobia: of small spaces
- Cleptophobia: of theft
- Coimetrophobia: of cemeteries
- Coulrophobia: of clowns
- Crystallophobia: of crystal and glass
- Cyberphobia: of computers
- Cyclophobia: of bicycles
- Cynophobia: of dogs
D
- Demophobia: of crowds
- Dentophobia: of dentists
- Dendrophobia: of trees
- Dipsophobia: of drinking
E
- Ecclesiophobia: of church
- Eleutherophobia: of freedom
- Entophobia: of insects
- Epistemophobia: of knowledge
- Equinophobia: of horses
F
- Felinophobia: of cats
Equinophobia, a fear of horses
G
- Gamophobia: of marriage
- Geliophobia: of laughter
- Genuphobia: of knees
- Glossophobia: of speaking
- Graphophobia: of handwriting
- Gynophobia: of women
H
- Hadephobia: of hell
- Hamartophobia: of sin
- Haphephobia: of touch
- Heliophobia: of the sun
- Hemophbobia: of blood
- Hodophobia: of travel
- Homichlophobia: of fog
- Hydrophobia: of water
- Hylophobia: of forests
- Hypsiphobia: of height
- Hypochondria: of illness
Graphophobia, a fear of handwriting
I
- Iatrophobia: of doctors
- Ichthyophobia: of fish
- Ideophobia: of ideas
- Isolophobia: of solitude
K
- Kainolophobia: of newness
- Koumpounophobia: of buttons
- Kymophobia: of waves
L
- Lachanophobia: of vegetables
- Lilapsophobia: of tornadoes and hurricanes
- Limnophobia: of lakes
- Lockiophobia: of childbirth
- Lygophobia: of darkness
Lachanophobia, a fear of vegetables
M
- Mageirocophobia: of cooking
- Mechanophobia: of machines
- Megalophobia: of large things
- Melissophobia: of bees
- Metallophobia: of metal
- Metathesiophobia: of change
- Microphobia: of small things
- Motorphobia: of automobiles
- Mottephobia: of moths
N
- Necrophobia: of death and the dead
- Nephophobia: of clouds
- Nosocomephobia: of hospitals
- Nyctophobia: of the dark
Nephophobia, a fear of clouds
O
- Obesophobia: of weight gain
- Olfactophobia: of smells
- Ombrophobia: of rain
- Ophidiophobia: of snakes
- Ophthalmophobia: of being watched
- Ornithophobia: of birds
P
- Papyrophobia: of paper
- Pediophobia: of dolls
- Phasmophobia: of ghosts
- Philematophobia: of kissing
- Philophobia: of being in love
- Plutophobia: of wealth
- Pluviophobia: of rain
- Podophobia: of feet
- Potamophobia: of rivers and water
- Pyrophobia: of fire
Podophobia, a fear of feet
R
- Rhytiphobia: of wrinkles
- Rupophobia: of dirt
S
- Samhainophobia: of Halloween
- Scolionophobia: of school
- Selachophobia: of sharks
- Selenophobia: of the moon
- Sociophobia: of social criticism
- Somniphobia: of sleep
- Stenophobia: of new things
T
- Tachophobia: of speed
- Technophobia: of technology
- Thalassophobia: of the sea
- Theatrophobia: of theaters
- Theologicophobia: of theology
- Tonitrophobia: of thunder
- Typrophobia: of holes
Somniphobia, a fear of sleep
U
- Uranophobia: of heaven
V
- Vestiphobia: of clothing
- Verminophobia: of germs
Zoophobia, a fear of animals
W
- Wiccophobia: of witches
X
- Xenoglossophobia: of foreign languages
- Xenophobia: of strangers, foreigners
Z
- Zoophobia: of animals
Sources
- Aleksandreia.com
- Alphadictionary.com
- Verywellmind.com
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
© 2020 Laynie H
Comments
Laynie H (author) from Bend, Oregon on December 01, 2020:
Hi Liz, I agree that this information is certainly interesting and worth knowing. Trivia and such.
Laynie H (author) from Bend, Oregon on December 01, 2020:
Hi Lora, I'm glad you found this amusing! It was fun to research. There are some pretty strange ones that I didn't include intentionally on this list . . .
Liz Westwood from UK on November 22, 2020:
I had no idea that there were so many. This would be great revision material for professional quizzers. There is often a question about an obscure phobia.
Lora Hollings on November 22, 2020:
Wow! I think you have covered every phobia imaginable, Layne. I never realized there were so many. I certainly wasn’t aware that there was a fear of being single. Maybe this accounts for many people picking the wrong person to marry? Also a fear of mannequins. I think there is a fear for everything! And perhaps people have different levels of fear for these things. This is a very interesting article. I wonder if we’re born with some of these fears or if they are learned?
