A Comprehensive List of Phobias and Obscure Fears

Author:
Laynie H
Updated date:
Nov 30, 2020

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.
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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

B

Baceriophobia: of bacteria
Barophobia: of gravity
Bibliophobia: of books
Botanophobia: of plants
Brontophobia: of lighting and thunder

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

Scroll to Continue

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
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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
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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

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

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

U

Uranophobia: of heaven

V

Vestiphobia: of clothing
Verminophobia: of germs

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.

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?