phobia
phobia — noun
- phobiasingular
- phobiasplural
1. a mental health condition in which a person experiences extreme, unreasonable fe
a mental health condition in which a person experiences extreme, unreasonable fear of a specific object, activity, or situation, to a degree that interferes with their normal daily life
Lukas has a phobia about needles and nearly faints every time he needs a blood test.
phobia about + noun for specific trigger
Her phobia of flying was so severe that she refused to board the plane to Tokyo.
phobia of + gerund/noun for target of fear
Cognitive behavioural therapy helped Kenji manage his social phobia and speak in public.
A phobia can cause a racing heart and shortness of breath when the person faces the feared situation.
Diya finally saw a doctor about her phobia of spiders after the panic attacks became more frequent.
- anxiety disorder
a broader medical category that includes phobias but also generalised anxiety
- irrational fear
describes the feeling without the clinical diagnosis
文法句型
phobia + of + noun/gerund
have a phobia about + noun/gerund
用法筆記
Frequently used with a prepositional phrase starting with 'of' or 'about' to specify the target of the fear. As a medical term, it implies a diagnosed condition that disrupts daily functioning, not simply strong fear.
常見錯誤
2. an everyday term for a very strong feeling of hatred or intense dislike toward a
an everyday term for a very strong feeling of hatred or intense dislike toward a particular thing, used when the feeling is not based on reason and does not amount to a diagnosed medical condition
Theo has a real phobia about eating anything that was cooked more than a day ago.
informal use: 'a real phobia about' for strong everyday dislike
Yara admitted she had a phobia of crowded subway trains during rush hour.
My uncle has a phobia about throwing away old newspapers and magazines.
A phobia of messy desks kept Tamar cleaning her workspace five times a day.
文法句型
phobia + about + noun
have a phobia + of + noun
用法筆記
In casual speech, 'phobia' is often used to describe a strong dislike or irritation rather than a clinical anxiety disorder. Distinguish from sense 1 by context — if the reaction does not involve panic or disrupted daily life, sense 2 is likely intended.
常見錯誤
phobia — suffix
1. used at the end of a word to name a medically recognised type of anxiety disorde
used at the end of a word to name a medically recognised type of anxiety disorder in which a person has an extreme, irrational fear of a specific trigger
Agoraphobia makes people frightened of open spaces or crowded public places.
suffix -phobia forming clinical term: agoraphobia
Claustrophobia is the fear of being in small, enclosed spaces like lifts or windowless rooms.
Lucas was diagnosed with acrophobia after he could not climb the stairs to his fifth-floor flat.
Arachnophobia is one of the most common specific phobias, affecting about one in three women.
The hospital offers free treatment for social phobia through group therapy sessions.
- anxiety disorder
broader category that includes multiple phobias
文法句型
[trigger word] + -phobia
用法筆記
Words formed with this suffix are normally uncountable nouns. The trigger word at the beginning of the compound comes from Greek or Latin roots (e.g., 'claustro-' meaning 'enclosed space').
常見錯誤
2. used at the end of a word to describe a strong, often unreasonable fear or hatre
used at the end of a word to describe a strong, often unreasonable fear or hatred of a particular thing, type of person, or situation, without implying a clinical diagnosis
Xenophobia refers to a strong fear or hatred of people from other countries.
non-clinical suffix: xenophobia as social prejudice
The rise of technophobia worries educators who want older adults to use digital tools.
Homophobia remains a serious problem in many schools and workplaces around the world.
Beatriz joked that her commitment-phobia was the reason she had never kept a plant alive.
- philia
the opposite suffix meaning 'love of' (e.g., bibliophilia)
文法句型
[target word] + -phobia
用法筆記
This suffix appears in many social and political terms (xenophobia, homophobia, Islamophobia) where it describes prejudice or systemic discrimination rather than a medical fear. The playful suffix -phobia (e.g., 'commitment-phobia') is informal and often humorous.
常見錯誤
phobia — noun_combining_form
1. a combining form used to build nouns that mean an extreme and unreasonable fear
a combining form used to build nouns that mean an extreme and unreasonable fear of something, especially in medical or technical descriptions of specific phobias
The dentist tried to help Jude manage his odontophobia before the root canal procedure.
combining form: odontophobia = fear of dentists
Nyctophobia, or fear of the dark, is common among young children but usually fades with age.
Indra's aquaphobia made swimming lessons a terrifying experience every single week.
Thanatophobia, the fear of death, can become overwhelming for elderly patients in hospice care.
文法句型
[prefix]phobia
用法筆記
The first part of the compound is typically a Greek or Latin root naming the feared object (e.g., 'nycto-' = night, 'odonto-' = tooth, 'aqua-' = water). This combining form behaves as the head of compound nouns.
2. a combining form used to build nouns that describe a strong inability to tolerat
a combining form used to build nouns that describe a strong inability to tolerate something or a deep aversion to it, extending beyond fear to include dislike and rejection
Hydrophobia is an old term for rabies, describing the animal's inability to swallow water.
combining form: hydrophobia = medical intolerance, not fear
Photophobia makes bright sunlight painfully uncomfortable for people with certain eye conditions.
Cibophobia made it impossible for Sirin to tolerate any solid food after her chemotherapy sessions.
Lakan's phonophobia meant he could not tolerate the sound of chewing or loud breathing.
- aversion
milder and more general; less clinical than -phobia combining forms
- intolerance
focuses on inability to endure rather than emotional fear
- tolerance
opposite of intolerance; the ability to endure without reaction
文法句型
[prefix]phobia
用法筆記
This combining form is sometimes used in non-psychological contexts (e.g., hydrophobia for rabies, photophobia for light sensitivity) where the meaning is closer to 'intolerance' or 'aversion' than 'fear.'