Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A persistent, abnormal, and irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to avoid it, despite the awareness and reassurance that it is not dangerous.
  • noun A strong fear, dislike, or aversion.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Any morbid uncontrollable dread or fear.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An irrational or obsessive fear or anxiety, usually of or about something particular.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an anxiety disorder characterized by extreme and irrational fear of simple things or social situations

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From –phobia.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

c 1790, from words ending in -phobia, from Ancient Greek φόβος (phobos, "fear"). Compare ism, from -ism, itis, from -itis, and ana, from -ana.

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