noun
phobia
FOH-bee-uh
noun
1
An intense, often irrational fear of a specific thing or situation.
"His phobia of heights kept him off the roof terrace."
"She has developed a phobia of flying after a rough flight last year."
How to Use Phobia
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA strong, often unreasonable fear of something specific, like spiders, heights, or flying.
Common mistake
A phobia is more intense and irrational than an ordinary dislike or nervousness — don't use it loosely for mild preferences.
Common pairings
fear of
develop a phobia
overcome a phobia
Word Forms
phobias plural, phobiae plural, phobiæ plural
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His _____ of heights kept him off the roof terrace.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek phobos, "fear," first used as an independent word around 1790 after appearing in compound words like "hydrophobia."