A List of Philias or Love Obsessions

Layne is an active freelance writer. She enjoys staying up-to-date on trends, media, and emerging topics.

What Does "Philia" Mean?

"Philia" is an ancient Greek word that in translation means affection, love, or brotherly love. Philias are oftentimes likened to or described as obsessions (with the opposite of philias being phobias). A lover of books, for example, is a bibliophile. If used as an adjective, one might say "bibliophilic," or attach any "ly" to use the word as an adverb.

Oxford Languages describes "philia" as "denoting fondness, especially an abnormal love for a specified thing." If you have a love for something obscure, then explore this comprehensive list of love obsessions.

A

A love . . .

• Acousticophilia: of noise
• Acrophilia: of heights
• Algophilia: of pain
• Ailurophila: of cats
• Altophilia: of heights
• Ambulophila: of walking
• Anemophilia: of wind
• Anthophilia: of flowers
• Anthropophilia: of people
• Anuptophila: of being single
• Apiphilia: of bees
• Arachnephilia: of spiders
• Arithmophilia: of numbers
• Aurophilia: of gold
• Aviophilia: of flying

B

• Barophilia: of gravity
• Bibliophilia: of books
• Botanophilia: of plants
• Brontophilia: of lighting and thunder

C

• Cainophilia: of newness and change
• Carnopihilia: of meat
• Cenophilia: of empty spaces
• Chorophilia: of dancing
• Chrometophilia: of money
• Chromatophilia: of colors
• Cleptophilia: of theft
• Coimetrophilia: of cemeteries
• Crystallophilia: of crystal and glass
• Cyberphilia: of computers
• Cyclophilia: of bicycles
• Cynophilia: of dogs

D

• Demophilia: of crowds
• Dendrophilia: of trees
• Dipsophilia: of drinking
• Dontophilia: of teeth
• Doxophilia: of opinions

E

• Ecclesiophilia: of church
• Ecophilia: of home
• Eleutherophilia: of freedom
• Elurophilia: of cats
• Epistemophilia: of knowledge
• Equinophilia: of horses
• Ergophilia: of work
• Euphilia: of good things

F

• Felinophilia: of cats
• Francophilia: of all things French

G

• Geliophilia: of laughter
• Genuphilia: of knees
• Glossophilia: of language
• Graphophilia: of handwriting

H

• Hadephilia: of hell
• Hamartophilia: of sin
• Heliophilia: of the sun
• Hodophilia: of car trips
• Homichlophilia: of fog
• Hylophilia: of forests
• Hypsiphilia: of height

I

• Iatrophilia: of doctors
• Ichthyophilia: of fish
• Ideophilia: of ideas
• Isolophilia: of solitude

J

• Japanophilia: of all things Japanese

K

• Kainophilia: of newness
• Kainotophilia: of change
• Kenophilia: of empty spaces
• Kleptophilia: of stealing
• Kymophilia: of waves

L

• Lachanophilia: of vegetables
• Lilapsophilia: of tornados and hurricanes
• Limnophilia: of lakes
• Logophilia: of words
• Lygophilia: of darkness

M

• Mageirocophilia: of cooking
• Mechanophilia: of machines
• Megalophilia: of big things
• Melissophilia: of bees
• Metallophilia: of metal
• Metathesiophilia: of changes
• Meteorophilia: of meteors
• Microphilia: of small things
• Motorphilia: of vehicles
• MottephilIa: of moths

N

• Nephophilia: of clouds
• Numerophilia: of numbers

O

• Oenophilia: of wines
• Olfactophilia: of smells
• Ophidiophilia: of snakes
• Ophthalmophilia: of being looked at
• Ornithophilia: of birds

P

• Pediophilia: of dolls
• Phasmophilia: of ghosts
• Philemophilia: of kissing
• Philophilia: of being in love
• Philosophilia: of philosophy
• Philophilia: of philias
• Phronemophilia: of thinking
• Plutophilia: of wealth
• Pluviophilia: of rain
• Potamophilia: of rivers and water
• Pyrophilia: of fire

R

• Rhytophilia: of wrinkles
• Rupophilia: of dirt

S

• Samhainophilia: of Halloween
• Scolionophilia: of school
• Selachophilia: of sharks
• Selenophilia: of the moon
• Somnephilia: of sleep
• Sophophilia: of learning
• Stenophila: of new things

T

• Tachophilia: of speed
• Taphephilila: of graveyards
• Technophilia: of technology
• Thalassophilia: of the sea
• Thanatophilia: of death
• Theatrophilia: of theaters
• Theologophilia: of theology

U

• Uranophilia: of heaven

V

• Verbophilia: of words
• Vestiphilia: of clothing

W

• Wiccophilia: of witches

X

• Xenoglossophilia: of foreign languages
• Xenophilia: of strangers, foreigners
• Xylophilia: of forests

Z

• Zoophilia: lover of animals

Sources

• Aleksandreia.com
• Alphadictionary.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 Lora, I'm definitely a dog and cat lover as well. I love your suggestion for researching the philia for makeup. Glad you enjoyed it!

Laynie H (author) from Bend, Oregon on December 01, 2020:

Hi Liz, I had a fun time researching philias. I could relate to the nature-oriented ones quite a bit!

Lora Hollings on November 22, 2020:

I never knew that there were this many obsessions. I guess to one degree or another, we all have some of these loves. I must be a lover of gravity, as I prefer to have my feet on the ground as I hate flying. I also have a passion for flowers, and I would qualify as a dog lover as I have 4 dogs and I’m also a cat lover and a lover of horses. I think there must be a philia for make-up as I see an awful lot of people who wear far too much of it! This is a fun and interesting article, Layne. Thanks for sharing.

Liz Westwood from UK on November 22, 2020:

This is a comprehensive list. I especially appreciate the explanation about its Greek roots.