The Big List Of 532 Phobias From A to Z

A phobia is an intense, persistent fear that gets in the way of daily life. Browse 532 phobias from A to Z, learn what phobias are and how they're treated.

There’s a word for the thing that scares you. There’s probably a word for the thing that scares you about the word.

Honestly, that’s the wild part of phobias. Spiders? Heights? Sure. But also chins, garlic, belly buttons, the number eight and peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth. If a human can dread it, somebody somewhere has stuck a Greek suffix on it and made it official.

And if one of these is genuinely you, here’s the first thing to know: you’re not alone, and you’re not broken.

Take public speaking. It’s one of the most commonly reported fears of all¹. Estimates of how many people it touches swing all over the place depending on how you measure it, but it lands near the top of the list every single time. A fear like that isn’t a quirk. It can be genuinely debilitating and quietly shrink the size of your life.

Watch our video below for 7 steps to overcome stage fright and beat performance anxiety:

So here’s the plan. First we’ll get clear on what a phobia actually is, how one takes root and how the good ones get unlearned. Then comes the fun part: the full A to Z, all 532 of them.

What Are Phobias? (Definition)

A phobia² is an intense, persistent fear of a particular object, situation or activity that’s way out of proportion to the actual danger. Think of it as the volume knob on a normal worry getting cranked to eleven and then snapping off in your hand.

This is the bit people miss: it goes well past ordinary nervousness. A specific phobia is a recognized anxiety disorder³, which means the fear is strong enough to cause real distress and get in the way of everyday life. Plenty of people feel deeply anxious just thinking about the thing, then quietly reshape their whole day to dodge it. The impact can run from mildly annoying to seriously limiting.

The usual suspects? Heights, dogs, spiders, tight spaces, water and flying. Someone with a fear of flying might feel physically sick just picturing the airport and rearrange a whole trip to keep both feet on the ground.

Phobias sort into three big buckets.

• Social phobia: also known as social anxiety disorder⁴, this is a fear of social situations, including the fear of embarrassment
• Agoraphobia⁵ : a fear of situations where escape feels limited or help feels far away
• Specific phobia⁶ : a fear of a particular object, situation or activity, grouped into categories like animals, the natural environment, blood and injury, specific situations and “other”

How People Develop Phobias

So where do these even come from? Phobias grow out of the way our brains learn, both rationally and emotionally. As you move through life, your brain reads each thing that happens, files it away and yanks the file back out the next time something similar shows up so you know how to react.

Most of the time, that filing system works in your favor. As we grow up and get better at reasoning, we quietly toss out the fears that don’t match reality.

• A four-year-old is dead certain a monster lives under the bed.
• A ten-year-old checks anyway, just in case.
• A grown-up doesn’t give it a second thought.

The rational brain catches up and overrules the spooky one.

A phobia is what happens when that update never installs. An emotional misreading gets stuck on, and no amount of “but this is silly” seems to pry it loose. That’s a big reason phobias show up more often in people who’ve lived through something genuinely frightening tied to the thing they now fear. The brain learned a hard lesson once and refuses to file it under old news.

How Phobias Are Treated

Now for the genuinely good news, the part you actually came here for: phobias are some of the most treatable things in all of mental health.

The first-line treatment for a specific phobia is exposure therapy⁷, and the idea is exactly what it sounds like. You face the thing you fear in tiny, safe, manageable steps, usually as part of cognitive behavioral therapy. Step by step, your brain collects proof that the scary thing isn’t actually out to get you. Eventually the fear just runs out of evidence and loosens its grip.

And it works. The UK’s National Health Service notes that talking therapies like CBT are very effective for phobias and that medication usually isn’t even needed⁸. For more severe cases a doctor may add medication to take the edge off the anxiety alongside therapy.

The headline is simple and hopeful: fear is learned, which means fear can be unlearned. You just need the right support and a few brave steps.

532 Types of Phobias A to Z

Okay, here’s the main event. This list sticks to genuine anxiety-based phobias, the kind wired to a specific object, situation or activity. A quick note on what’s missing: some “-phobia” words in everyday use describe prejudice or hostility toward a group of people rather than a clinical anxiety, so you won’t find those here. Different thing entirely.

Fair warning, this list is long. And even so, it’ll never truly be finished, because people keep naming new phobias all the time. Honestly, almost anything can turn into a phobia if it gets hitched to a frightening experience or a runaway anxious thought. Scroll on and meet 532 of them.

A

1. Ablutophobia: fear of bathing
2. Acarophobia: fear of itching or of the insects that cause itching
3. Acerophobia: fear of sourness
4. Achluophobia: fear of darkness
5. Acousticophobia: fear of noise
6. Acrophobia: fear of heights
7. Aeroacrophobia: fear of open high places
8. Aeronausiphobia: fear of vomiting secondary to airsickness
9. Aerophobia: fear of drafts, air swallowing or airborne noxious substances
10. Agateophobia: fear of insanity
11. Agliophobia: fear of pain
12. Agoraphobia: fear of open places
13. Agraphobia: fear of sexual abuse
14. Agrizoophobia: fear of wild animals
15. Agyrophobia: fear of crossing streets
16. Aichmophobia: fear of sharp or pointed objects
17. Ailurophobia: fear of cats
18. Albuminurophobia: fear of kidney disease
19. Alektorophobia: fear of chickens
20. Algophobia: fear of pain
21. Alliumphobia: fear of the strong-scented Allium genus: garlic, onions, chives, shallots
22. Allodoxaphobia: fear of opinions
23. Altophobia: fear of heights
24. Amathophobia: fear of dust
25. Amaxophobia: fear of riding in a car
26. Ambulophobia: fear of walking
27. Amnesiphobia: fear of amnesia
28. Amychophobia: fear of scratches or being scratched
29. Anablephobia: fear of looking up
30. Anatidaephobia: fear of ducks
31. Ancraophobia: fear of wind or drafts
32. Androphobia: fear of adult men
33. Anemophobia: fear of air drafts or wind
34. Anginophobia: fear of angina, choking or narrowness
35. Angrophobia: fear of anger or of becoming angry
36. Ankylophobia: fear of immobility of a joint
37. Anthrophobia or Anthophobia: fear of flowers
38. Anthropophobia: fear of human beings
39. Antlophobia: fear of floods
40. Anuptaphobia: fear of staying single
41. Apeirophobia: fear of infinity, eternity and the uncountable
42. Aphenphosmphobia: fear of being touched
43. Apiphobia: fear of bees
44. Apotemnophobia: fear of amputees
45. Aquaphobia: fear of water
46. Arachibutyrophobia: fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth
47. Arachnophobia: fear of spiders and other arachnids such as scorpions
48. Arithmophobia: fear of numbers
49. Arrhenphobia: fear of men
50. Arsonphobia: fear of fire
51. Asthenophobia: fear of fainting or weakness
52. Astraphobia: fear of thunder and lightning
53. Astrophobia: fear of stars or celestial space
54. Asymmetriphobia: fear of asymmetrical things
55. Ataxiophobia: fear of ataxia
56. Ataxophobia: fear of disorder or untidiness
57. Atelophobia: fear of imperfection
58. Atephobia: fear of ruin or ruins
59. Athazagoraphobia: fear of being forgotten
60. Atomosophobia: fear of atomic explosions
61. Atychiphobia: fear of failure
62. Autophobia: fear of isolation
63. Aulophobia: fear of flutes
64. Aurophobia: fear of gold
65. Auroraphobia: fear of Northern lights
66. Autodysomophobia: fear of one that has a vile odor
67. Automatonophobia: fear of ventriloquist’s dummies, animatronic creatures, wax statues
68. Automysophobia: fear of being dirty
69. Aviophobia or Aviatophobia: fear of flying

B

70. Bacillophobia: fear of microbes
71. Bacteriophobia: fear of bacteria
72. Ballistophobia: fear of missiles or bullets
73. Barophobia: fear of gravity
74. Basophobia: fear of falling
75. Bathmophobia: fear of stairs or steep slopes
76. Bathophobia: fear of depth
77. Batophobia: fear of heights or being close to high buildings
78. Batrachophobia: fear of frogs and other amphibians
79. Belonephobia: fear of needles or pins
80. Bibliophobia: fear or hatred of books
81. Blennophobia: fear of slime
82. Bogyphobia: fear of bogeys or the bogeyman
83. Botanophobia: fear of plants
84. Bromidrosiphobia or Bromidrophobia: fear of body smells
85. Brontophobia: fear of thunder and lightning
86. Bufonophobia: fear of toads

C

87. Cacophobia: fear of ugliness
88. Cainophobia or Cainotophobia: fear of newness, novelty
89. Caligynephobia: fear of beautiful women
90. Carcinophobia: fear of cancer
91. Cardiophobia: fear of the heart
92. Carnophobia: fear of meat
93. Catagelophobia: fear of being ridiculed
94. Catapedaphobia: fear of jumping from high and low places
95. Cathisophobia: fear of sitting
96. Catoptrophobia: fear of mirrors
97. Cenophobia or Centophobia: fear of new things or ideas
98. Chaetophobia: fear of hair
99. Cheimaphobia or Cheimatophobia: fear of cold
100. Chemophobia: fear of chemicals
101. Cherophobia: fear of happiness
102. Chionophobia: fear of snow
103. Chiraptophobia: fear of being touched
104. Chirophobia: fear of hands
105. Chiclephobia: fear of chewing gum
106. Chiroptophobia: fear of bats
107. Cholerophobia: fear of anger or the fear of cholera
108. Chorophobia: fear of dancing
109. Chrometophobia or Chrematophobia: fear of money
110. Chromophobia: fear of colors
111. Chronomentrophobia: fear of clocks
112. Chronophobia: fear of time and time moving forward
113. Cibophobia: fear of food
114. Claustrophobia: fear of having no escape and being closed in
115. Cleithrophobia or Cleisiophobia: fear of being locked in an enclosed place
116. Cleptophobia: fear of stealing
117. Climacophobia: fear of stairs
118. Clinophobia: fear of going to bed
119. Clithrophobia or Cleithrophobia: fear of being enclosed
120. Cnidophobia: fear of stings
121. Coimetrophobia: fear of cemeteries
122. Coitophobia: fear of coitus
123. Cometophobia: fear of comets
124. Consecotaleophobia: fear of chopsticks
125. Contreltophobia: fear of sexual abuse
126. Coprastasophobia: fear of constipation
127. Coprophobia: fear of feces or defecation
128. Coronaphobia: fear of COVID-19
129. Coulrophobia: fear of clowns
130. Counterphobia: The preference by a phobic for fearful situations
131. Cremnophobia: fear of precipices
132. Cryophobia: fear of extreme cold, ice or frost
133. Crystallophobia: fear of crystals or glass
134. Cyberphobia: fear of computers
135. Cyclophobia: fear of bicycles
136. Cymophobia or Kymophobia: fear of waves or wave-like motions
137. Cynophobia: fear of dogs
138. Cypridophobia or Cypriphobia or Cyprianophobia or Cyprinophobia: fear of prostitutes or venereal disease

D

139. Decidophobia: fear of making decisions
140. Defecaloesiophobia: fear of painful bowel movements
141. Dementophobia: fear of insanity
142. Demonophobia or Daemonophobia: fear of demons
143. Dendrophobia: fear of trees
144. Deipnophobia: fear of dining with others
145. Dentophobia: fear of dentists
146. Dermatophobia: fear of skin lesions
147. Dermatosiophobia or Dermatophobia or Dermatopathophobia: fear of skin disease
148. Dextrophobia: fear of objects on the right side of the body
149. Diabetophobia: fear of diabetes
150. Diagraphephobia: fear of losing your computer data
151. Didaskaleinophobia: fear of going to school
152. Dikephobia: fear of justice
153. Dinophobia: fear of dizziness or whirlpools
154. Diplophobia: fear of double vision
155. Dipsophobia: fear of drinking
156. Dishabiliophobia: fear of undressing in front of someone
157. Disposophobia: fear of throwing stuff out
158. Domatophobia: fear of houses
159. Doraphobia: fear of fur or skins of animals
160. Doxophobia: fear of expressing opinions or of receiving praise
161. Dromophobia: fear of crossing streets
162. Dysmorphophobia: fear of a real or imaginary body defect
163. Dystychiphobia: fear of accidents

E

164. Ecclesiophobia: fear of church
165. Ecophobia: fear of cataclysmic environmental change
166. Eicophobia: fear of home surroundings (Domatophobia, Oikophobia)
167. Eisoptrophobia: fear of mirrors or seeing one’s reflection in a mirror
168. Electrophobia: fear of electricity
169. Eleutherophobia: fear of freedom
170. Elurophobia: fear of cats (Ailurophobia)
171. Emetophobia: fear of vomiting
172. Enetophobia: fear of pins
173. Enochlophobia: fear of crowds
174. Enosiophobia or Enissophobia: fear of having committed an unpardonable sin or of criticism
175. Entomophobia: fear of insects
176. Eosophobia: fear of dawn or daylight
177. Ephebiphobia: fear of youth
178. Epistaxiophobia: fear of nosebleeds
179. Epistemophobia: fear of knowledge
180. Equinophobia: fear of horses
181. Eremophobia: fear of being oneself or of loneliness
182. Ereuthrophobia: fear of blushing
183. Ergophobia: fear of work
184. Erotophobia: fear of sexual love or sexual abuse
185. Erythrophobia: fear of the color red or fear of blushing
186. Euphobia: fear of hearing good news
187. Eurotophobia: aversion to female genitals

F

188. Febriphobia or Fibriphobia or Fibriophobia: fear of fever
189. Felinophobia: fear of cats
190. Frigophobia: fear of cold or cold things

G

191. Galeophobia or Gatophobia: fear of cats
192. Gamophobia: fear of marriage
193. Gelotophobia: fear of being laughed at
194. Geniophobia: fear of chins
195. Genophobia: fear of sexual intercourse
196. Genuphobia: fear of knees or the act of kneeling
197. Gephyrophobia: fear of bridges
198. Gerascophobia: fear of growing old or aging
199. Gerontophobia: fear of growing old, or a hatred or fear of the elderly
200. Geumaphobia or Geumophobia: fear of taste
201. Globophobia: fear of balloons
202. Glossophobia: fear of speaking in public or of trying to speak
203. Gnosiophobia: fear of knowledge
204. Graphophobia: fear of writing or handwriting
205. Gymnophobia: fear of nudity
206. Gynophobia: fear of adult women

H

207. Hadephobia: fear of hell
208. Hagiophobia: fear of saints or holy things
209. Halitophobia: fear of bad breath
210. Hamartophobia: fear of sinning
211. Haphephobia or Haptephobia: fear of being touched
212. Harpaxophobia: fear of being robbed
213. Hedonophobia: fear of obtaining pleasure
214. Heliophobia: fear of sunlight
215. Hellenologophobia: fear of Greek terms or complex scientific terminology
216. Helminthophobia: fear of worms
217. Hemophobia: fear of blood
218. Heptadekaphobia: fear of the number 17
219. Heresyphobia or Hereiophobia: fear of challenges to official doctrine or of radical deviation
220. Herpetophobia: fear of reptiles or amphibians
221. Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia: fear of the number 666
222. Hippophobia: fear of horses
223. Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia: fear of long words
224. Hierophobia: fear of priests or sacred things
225. Hodophobia: fear of travel
226. Homichlophobia: fear of fog
227. Homilophobia: fear of sermons
228. Hominophobia: fear of men
229. Hoplophobia: fear of firearms
230. Hormephobia: fear of shock
231. Hydrargyophobia: fear of mercurial medicines
232. Hydrophobia: fear of water
233. Hydrophobophobia: fear of rabies
234. Hyelophobia or Hyalophobia: fear of glass
235. Hygrophobia: fear of liquids, dampness or moisture
236. Hylephobia: fear of materialism or the fear of epilepsy
237. Hylophobia: fear of forests
238. Hypengyophobia or Hypegiaphobia: fear of responsibility
239. Hypnophobia: fear of sleep
240. Hypochondria: fear of illness
241. Hypsiphobia: fear of height

I

242. Iatrophobia: fear of going to the doctor or of doctors
243. Ichthyophobia: fear of fish
244. Ideophobia: fear of ideas
245. Illyngophobia: fear of vertigo or feeling dizzy when looking down
246. Insectophobia: fear of insects
247. Iophobia: fear of poison
248. Isolophobia: fear of solitude, being alone
249. Isopterophobia: fear of termites, insects that eat wood
250. Ithyphallophobia: fear of seeing, thinking about or having an erect penis

J

K

251. Kainolophobia or Kainophobia: fear of anything new, novelty
252. Kakorrhaphiophobia: fear of failure or defeat
253. Katagelophobia: fear of ridicule
254. Kathisophobia: fear of sitting down
255. Katsaridaphobia: fear of cockroaches
256. Kenophobia: fear of voids or empty spaces
257. Keraunophobia or Ceraunophobia: fear of thunder and lightning
258. Kinetophobia or Kinesophobia: fear of movement or motion
259. Kleptophobia: fear of stealing
260. Koinoniphobia: fear of rooms
261. Kolpophobia: fear of genitals, particularly female
262. Koniophobia: fear of dust
263. Kopophobia: fear of fatigue
264. Kosmikophobia: fear of space or the cosmos
265. Koumpounophobia: fear of buttons on clothing
266. Kynophobia: fear of rabies
267. Kyphophobia: fear of stooping

L

268. Lachanophobia: fear of vegetables
269. Laliophobia or Lalophobia: fear of speaking
270. Lepidopterophobia: fear of butterflies and moths
271. Leprophobia or Lepraphobia: fear of leprosy
272. Leukophobia: fear of the color white
273. Levophobia: fear of things to the left side of the body
274. Ligyrophobia: fear of loud noises
275. Lilapsophobia: fear of tornadoes or hurricanes
276. Limnophobia: fear of lakes
277. Linonophobia: fear of string
278. Lipophobia: fear of fats in food
279. Liticaphobia: fear of lawsuits
280. Lockiophobia: fear of childbirth
281. Logizomechanophobia: fear of computers
282. Logophobia: fear of words
283. Luiphobia: fear of lues, syphilis
284. Lutraphobia: fear of otters
285. Lygophobia: fear of darkness
286. Lyssophobia: fear of rabies or of becoming mad

M

287. Macrophobia: fear of long waits
288. Mageiricophobia: fear of cooking
289. Maieusiophobia: fear of childbirth
290. Malaxophobia: fear of love play
291. Maniaphobia: fear of insanity
292. Masklophobia: fear of people in masks, costumes and mascots
293. Mastigophobia: fear of punishment
294. Mechanophobia: fear of machines
295. Medomalacuphobia: fear of losing an erection
296. Medorthophobia: fear of an erect penis
297. Megalophobia: fear of large objects
298. Melanophobia: fear of the color black
299. Melissophobia: fear of bees
300. Melophobia: fear of music
301. Meningitophobia: fear of brain disease
302. Menophobia: fear of menstruation
303. Merinthophobia: fear of being bound or tied up
304. Metallophobia: fear of metal
305. Metathesiophobia: fear of changes
306. Meteorophobia: fear of meteors
307. Methyphobia: fear of alcohol
308. Metrophobia: fear or hatred of poetry
309. Microbiophobia: fear of microbes
310. Microphobia: fear of small things
311. Misophobia or Mysophobia: fear of being contaminated with dirt or germs
312. Mnemophobia: fear of memories
313. Molysmophobia or Molysomophobia: fear of dirt or contamination
314. Monopathophobia: fear of definite disease
315. Monophobia: fear of being alone or isolated or of one’s self
316. Motorphobia: fear of automobiles
317. Mottephobia: fear of moths
318. Musophobia: fear of mice or rats
319. Mycophobia: fear of mushrooms
320. Mycrophobia: fear of small things
321. Myctophobia: fear of darkness
322. Myrmecophobia: fear of ants
323. Mythophobia: fear of myths or stories or false statements
324. Myxophobia: fear of slime

N

325. Nebulaphobia: fear of fog
326. Necrophobia: fear of death or the dead
327. Nelophobia: fear of glass
328. Neopharmaphobia: fear of new drugs
329. Neophobia: fear of newness, novelty, change or progress
330. Nephophobia: fear of clouds
331. Noctiphobia: fear of the night
332. Nomatophobia: fear of names
333. Nomophobia: fear of being out of mobile phone
334. Nosocomephobia: fear of hospitals
335. Nosophobia: fear of contracting a disease
336. Nostophobia: fear of returning home
337. Novercaphobia: fear of your stepmother
338. Nucleomituphobia: fear of nuclear weapons
339. Nudophobia: fear of nudity
340. Numerophobia: fear of numbers
341. Nyctohylophobia: fear of dark wooded areas or of forests at night
342. Nyctophobia: fear of darkness

O

343. Obesophobia: fear of gaining weight
344. Ochlophobia: fear of crowds or mobs
345. Ochophobia: fear of vehicles
346. Octophobia: fear of the figure 8
347. Odontophobia: fear of dentists
348. Odynophobia or Odynephobia: fear of pain
349. Oenophobia: fear of wines
350. Oikophobia: fear of home surroundings and household appliances
351. Olfactophobia: fear of smells
352. Ombrophobia: fear of rain or of being rained on
353. Omphalophobia: fear of belly buttons
354. Oneirogmophobia: fear of wet dreams
355. Ommetaphobia: fear of eyes
356. Oneirophobia: fear of dreams
357. Onomatophobia: fear of hearing a certain word or names
358. Ophidiophobia: fear of snakes
359. Ophthalmophobia: fear of being stared at
360. Opiophobia: fear medical doctors experience of prescribing needed pain medications for patients
361. Optophobia: fear of opening one’s eyes
362. Ornithophobia: fear of birds
363. Orthophobia: fear of property
364. Osmophobia: fear of odors
365. Ostraconophobia: fear of shellfish
366. Ouranophobia or Uranophobia: fear of heaven

P

367. Pagophobia: fear of ice or frost
368. Panphobia: fear of everything or the constant fear of an unknown cause
369. Papyrophobia: fear of paper
370. Paralipophobia: fear of neglecting duty or responsibility
371. Paraphobia: fear of sexual perversion
372. Parasitophobia: fear of parasites
373. Paraskavedekatriaphobia: fear of Friday the 13th
374. Parthenophobia: fear of virgins or young girls
375. Parturiphobia: fear of childbirth
376. Pathophobia: fear of disease
377. Patroiophobia: fear of heredity
378. Peccatophobia: fear of sinning or imaginary crimes
379. Pediculophobia: fear of lice
380. Pediophobia: fear of dolls
381. Pedophobia: fear of babies or children
382. Peladophobia: fear of bald people
383. Pellagrophobia: fear of pellagra
384. Peniaphobia: fear of poverty
385. Pentheraphobia: fear of mother-in-law
386. Phagophobia: fear of swallowing
387. Phalacrophobia: fear of becoming bald
388. Phallophobia: fear of erections
389. Pharmacophobia: fear of medications
390. Phasmophobia: fear of ghosts or phantoms
391. Phengophobia: fear of daylight or sunshine
392. Philemaphobia or Philematophobia: fear of kissing
393. Philophobia: fear of love
394. Philosophobia: fear of philosophy
395. Phobophobia: fear of fear itself or of having a phobia
396. Phonophobia: fear of loud sounds or voices
397. Photophobia: fear of light
398. Phronemophobia: fear of thinking
399. Phthiriophobia: fear of lice
400. Phthisiophobia: fear of tuberculosis
401. Phyllophobia: fear of leaves
402. Placophobia: fear of tombstones
403. Plutophobia: fear of wealth
404. Pluviophobia: fear of rain or of being rained on
405. Pneumatiphobia: fear of spirits
406. Pnigophobia or Pnigerophobia: fear of choking or being smothered
407. Pocrescophobia: fear of gaining weight
408. Pogonophobia: fear of beards
409. Poinephobia: fear of punishment
410. Poliosophobia: fear of contracting poliomyelitis
411. Politicophobia: fear or abnormal dislike of politicians
412. Polyphobia: fear of many things
413. Ponophobia: fear of overworking or of pain
414. Pornophobia: fear of pornography
415. Porphyrophobia: fear of the color purple
416. Potamophobia: fear of rivers or running water
417. Potophobia: fear of alcohol
418. Proctophobia: fear of rectums
419. Prosophobia: fear of progress
420. Psellismophobia: fear of stuttering
421. Psychophobia: fear of mental illness or the mentally ill
422. Psychrophobia: fear of cold
423. Pteromerhanophobia: fear of flying
424. Pteronophobia: fear of being tickled by feathers
425. Pupaphobia: fear of puppets
426. Pyrexiophobia: fear of fever
427. Pyrophobia: fear of fire

Q

428. Quadraphobia: fear of the number four
429. Quadriplegiphobia: fear of people with quadriplegia or fear of becoming a quadriplegic
430. Quintaphobia: fear of the number five

R

431. Radiophobia: fear of radioactivity or X-rays
432. Ranidaphobia: fear of frogs
433. Rectophobia: fear of rectum or rectal diseases
434. Rhabdophobia: fear of being severely punished or beaten by a rod
435. Rhypophobia: fear of defecation
436. Rhytiphobia: fear of getting wrinkles
437. Rupophobia: fear of dirt

S

438. Samhainophobia: fear of Halloween
439. Sarmassophobia: fear of love play
440. Satanophobia: fear of Satan
441. Scabiophobia: fear of scabies
442. Scatophobia: fear of fecal matter
443. Scelerophibia: fear of bad men, burglars
444. Sciophobia: fear of shadows
445. Scoleciphobia: fear of worms
446. Scolionophobia: fear of school
447. Scopophobia: fear of being looked at or stared at
448. Scotomaphobia: fear of blindness in the visual field
449. Scotophobia: fear of darkness
450. Scriptophobia: fear of writing in public
451. Selachophobia: fear of sharks
452. Selaphobia: fear of light flashes
453. Selenophobia: fear of the moon
454. Seplophobia: fear of decaying matter
455. Sesquipedalophobia: fear of long words
456. Sexophobia: fear of sexual organs or sexual activities
457. Siderodromophobia: fear of trains or railroads
458. Siderophobia: fear of stars
459. Sinistrophobia: fear of things to the left or left-handed
460. Sitophobia or Sitiophobia: fear of food or eating
461. Snakephobia: fear of snakes
462. Soceraphobia: fear of parents-in-law
463. Sociophobia: fear of society or people in general
464. Somniphobia: fear of sleep
465. Sophophobia: fear of learning
466. Soteriophobia: fear of dependence on others
467. Spacephobia: fear of outer space
468. Spectrophobia: fear of specters or ghosts
469. Spermatophobia or Spermophobia: fear of germs
470. Spheksophobia: fear of wasps
471. Stasiphobia: fear of standing or walking
472. Staurophobia: fear of crosses or the crucifix
473. Stenophobia: fear of narrow things or places
474. Stygiophobia or Stigiophobia: fear of hell
475. Submechanophobia: fear of partially or fully submerged man-made objects
476. Suriphobia: fear of mice
477. Symbolophobia: fear of symbolism
478. Symmetrophobia: fear of symmetry
479. Syngenesophobia: fear of relatives
480. Syphilophobia: fear of syphilis

T

481. Tachophobia: fear of speed
482. Taeniophobia or Teniophobia: fear of tapeworms
483. Taphephobia or Taphophobia: fear of being buried alive or of cemeteries
484. Taphophobia: fear of graves or fear of being placed in a grave while still alive
485. Tapinophobia: fear of being contagious
486. Taurophobia: fear of bulls
487. Technophobia: fear of advanced technology
488. Telephobia: fear or reluctance of making or taking telephone calls
489. Teratophobia: fear of giving birth to a monster
490. Testophobia: fear of taking tests
491. Tetanophobia: fear of lockjaw, tetanus
492. Tetraphobia: fear of the number 4
493. Textophobia: fear of certain fabrics
494. Thaasophobia: fear of sitting
495. Thalassophobia: fear of the sea or fear of being in the ocean
496. Thanatophobia: fear of dying
497. Theatrophobia: fear of theaters
498. Thermophobia: fear of intolerance to high temperatures
499. Tokophobia: fear of childbirth or pregnancy
500. Tomophobia: fear of invasive medical procedure
501. Tonitrophobia: fear of thunder
502. Topophobia: fear of certain places or situations, such as stage fright
503. Toxiphobia: fear of being poisoned
504. Traumatophobia: fear of having an injury
505. Tremophobia: fear of trembling
506. Trichinophobia: fear of trichinosis
507. Trichophobia: fear of hair loss
508. Triskaidekaphobia: fear of the number 13
509. Tropophobia: fear of moving or making changes
510. Trypanophobia: fear of needles or injections
511. Trypophobia: fear of holes or textures with a pattern of holes
512. Tuberculophobia: fear of tuberculosis
513. Tyrannophobia: fear of tyrants

U

514. Urophobia: fear of urine or urinating

V

515. Vaccinophobia: fear of vaccination
516. Vehophobia: fear of driving
517. Venustraphobia: fear of beautiful women
518. Verbophobia: fear of words
519. Verminophobia: fear of germs
520. Vestiphobia: fear of clothing
521. Virginitiphobia: fear of rape
522. Vitricophobia: fear of stepfather

W

523. Wiccaphobia: fear of witches and witchcraft

X

524. Xanthophobia: fear of the color yellow
525. Xenoglossophobia: fear of foreign languages
526. Xerophobia: fear of dryness
527. Xylophobia: fear of wooden objects or forests
528. Xyrophobia: fear of razors

Z

529. Zelophobia: fear of jealousy
530. Zemmiphobia: fear of the great mole rat
531. Zeusophobia: fear of God or gods
532. Zoophobia: fear of animals

Frequently Asked Questions About Phobias

Key Takeaways for Overcoming Phobias

If a fear has been quietly running your life, here’s where you start. Two small steps, that’s it:

• Get curious about what your body and mind do around your trigger. Notice the racing heart, the dodging, the dread. Naming it takes away some of its power.
• Lean on someone, a trusted friend or a therapist, and ask specifically about exposure-based therapy. It has the strongest track record for phobias by a mile.

For more on overcoming fears, check out our article 8 Biggest Fears You Face in Life (& How to Overcome Them).

References