Fears and Phobias: What are you afraid of?

Do fears and phobias hound you? From the fear of insects to that of washing, most people are afraid of one thing or the other. Even the most courageous of men; warriors, dictators and fighter pilots – have been found to be afraid of silly things like cockroaches and rats. The great Napoleon Bonaparte had a fear of cats. Hitler, Mussolini and Julius Caesar also suffered from Ailurophobia, an irrational fear of cats. Perhaps the commonest of all fears is stage fright. Whatever your phobia, there is always a name for it, and in this article we have listed almost all of them.

How to overcome fears and phobias: It is always a good thing to remember Franklin D. Roosevelt’s words: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” There are also people who practice counterphobia; instead of fleeing from the source of your fears, you actively seek it out so that you can overcome it.

The following is an extensive list of fears and phobias that have hounded the minds of people. Search the name of the thing that you fear or dislike to find the name of the corresponding phobia.

Name of Phobia	What you are afraid of
Ablutophobia	washing or bathing.
Acarophobia	itching or insects that cause itching.
Acerophobia	sourness.
Achluophobia	darkness.
Acousticophobia	noise.
Acrophobia	heights.
Aerophobia	drafts, air swallowing, or airbourne noxious substances.
Aeroacrophobia	open high places.
Aeronausiphobia	vomiting secondary to airsickness.
Agateophobia	insanity.
Agliophobia	pain.
Agoraphobia	open spaces or of being in crowded, public places like markets. leaving a safe place.
Agraphobia	sexual abuse.
Agrizoophobia	wild animals.
Agyrophobia	streets or crossing the street.
Aichmophobia	needles or pointed objects.
Ailurophobia	cats.
Albuminurophobia	kidney disease.
Alektorophobia	chickens.
Algophobia	pain.
Alliumphobia	garlic.
Allodoxaphobia	opinions.
Altophobia	heights.
Amathophobia	dust.
Amaxophobia	riding in a car.
Ambulophobia	walking.
Amnesiphobia	amnesia.
Amychophobia	scratches or being scratched.
Anablephobia	looking up.
Ancraophobia	wind.
Androphobia	men.
Anemophobia	air drafts or wind.
Anginophobia	angina, choking or narrowness.
Anglophobia	England or English culture, English language, etc.
Angrophobia	anger or of becoming angry.
Ankylophobia	immobility of a joint.
Anthrophobia or Anthophobia	flowers.
Anthropophobia	people or society.
Antlophobia	floods.
Anuptaphobia	staying single.
Apeirophobia	infinity.
Aphenphosmphobia	being touched.
Apiphobia	bees.
Apotemnophobia	persons with amputations.
Arachibutyrophobia	peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth.
Arachnephobia or Arachnophobia	spiders.
Arithmophobia	numbers.
Arrhenphobia	men.
Arsonphobia	fire.
Asthenophobia	fainting or weakness.
Astraphobia or Astrapophobia	thunder and lightning.
Astrophobia	stars or celestial space.
Asymmetriphobia	asymmetrical things.
Ataxiophobia	ataxia.
Ataxophobia	disorder or untidiness.
Atelophobia	imperfection.
Atephobia	ruin or ruins.
Athazagoraphobia	being forgotton or ignored or forgetting.
Atomosophobia	atomic explosions.
Atychiphobia	failure.
Aulophobia	flutes.
Aurophobia	gold.
Auroraphobia	Northern lights.
Autodysomophobia	one that has a vile odor.
Automatonophobia	ventriloquist's dummies, animatronic creatures, wax statues - anything that falsly represents a sentient being.
Automysophobia	being dirty.
Autophobia	being alone or of oneself.
Aviophobia or Aviatophobia	flying.
Bacillophobia	microbes.
Bacteriophobia	bacteria.
Ballistophobia	missiles or bullets.
Bolshephobia	Bolsheviks.
Barophobia	gravity.
Basophobia or Basiphobia	walking or falling. Inability to stand.
Bathmophobia	stairs or steep slopes.
Bathophobia	depth.
Batophobia	heights or being close to high buildings.
Batrachophobia	amphibians, such as frogs, newts, salamanders, etc.
Belonephobia	pins and needles.
Bibliophobia	books.
Blennophobia	slime.
Bogyphobia	bogeys or the bogeyman.
Botanophobia	plants.
Bromidrosiphobia or Bromidrophobia	body smells.
Brontophobia	thunder and lightning.
Bufonophobia	toads.
Cacophobia	ugliness.
Cainophobia or Cainotophobia	newness, novelty.
Caligynephobia	beautiful women.
Cancerophobia or Carcinophobia	cancer.
Cardiophobia	the heart.
Carnophobia	meat.
Catagelophobia	being ridiculed.
Catapedaphobia	jumping from high and low places.
Cathisophobia	sitting.
Catoptrophobia	mirrors.
Cenophobia or Centophobia	new things or ideas.
Ceraunophobia or Keraunophobia	thunder and lightning.
Chaetophobia	hair.
Cheimaphobia or Cheimatophobia	cold.
Chemophobia	chemicals or working with chemicals.
Cherophobia	gaiety.
Chionophobia	snow.
Chiraptophobia	being touched.
Chirophobia	hands.
Chiroptophobia	bats.
Cholerophobia	anger or the cholera.
Chorophobia	dancing.
Chrometophobia or Chrematophobia	money.
Chromophobia or Chromatophobia	colors.
Chronophobia	time.
Chronomentrophobia	clocks.
Cibophobia	food.
Claustrophobia	confined spaces.
Cleithrophobia or Cleisiophobia	being locked in an enclosed place.
Cleptophobia	stealing.
Climacophobia	stairs, climbing, or of falling downstairs.
Clinophobia	going to bed.
Clithrophobia or Cleithrophobia	being enclosed.
Cnidophobia	stings.
Cometophobia	comets.
Coimetrophobia	cemeteries.
Coitophobia	coitus.
Contreltophobia	sexual abuse.
Coprastasophobia	constipation.
Coprophobia	feces.
Consecotaleophobia	chopsticks.
Coulrophobia	clowns.
Cremnophobia	precipices.
Cryophobia	extreme cold, ice or frost.
Crystallophobia	crystals or glass.
Cyberphobia	computers or working on a computer.
Cyclophobia	bicycles.
Cymophobia or Kymophobia	waves or wave like motions.
Cynophobia	dogs or rabies.
Cypridophobia or Cypriphobia or Cyprianophobia or Cyprinophobia	prostitutes or venereal disease.
Decidophobia	making decisions.
Defecaloesiophobia	painful bowels movements.
Deipnophobia	dining or dinner conversations.
Dementophobia	insanity.
Demonophobia or Daemonophobia	demons.
Demophobia	crowds.
Dendrophobia	trees.
Dentophobia	dentists.
Dermatophobia	skin lesions.
Dermatosiophobia or Dermatophobia or Dermatopathophobia	skin disease.
Dextrophobia	objects at the right side of the body.
Diabetophobia	diabetes.
Didaskaleinophobia	going to school.
Dikephobia	justice.
Dinophobia	dizziness or whirlpools.
Diplophobia	double vision.
Dipsophobia	drinking.
Dishabiliophobia	undressing in front of someone.
Disposophobia	throwing stuff out. Hoarding.
Domatophobia	houses or being in a house.
Doraphobia	fur or skins of animals.
Doxophobia	expressing opinions or of receiving praise.
Dromophobia	crossing streets.
Dutchphobia	the Dutch.
Dysmorphophobia	deformity.
Dystychiphobia	accidents.
Ecclesiophobia	church.
Ecophobia	home.
Eicophobia	home surroundings.
Eisoptrophobia	mirrors or of seeing oneself in a mirror.
Electrophobia	electricity.
Eleutherophobia	freedom.
Elurophobia	cats.
Emetophobia	vomiting.
Enetophobia	pins.
Enochlophobia	crowds.
Enosiophobia or Enissophobia	having committed an unpardonable sin or of criticism.
Entomophobia	insects.
Eosophobia	dawn or daylight.
Ephebiphobia	teenagers.
Epistaxiophobia	nosebleeds.
Epistemophobia	knowledge.
Equinophobia	horses.
Eremophobia	being oneself or of lonliness.
Ereuthrophobia	blushing.
Ergasiophobia	work or functioning, operating (for a surgeon) .
Ergophobia	work.
Erotophobia	sexual love or sexual questions.
Euphobia	hearing good news.
Eurotophobia	female genitalia.
Erythrophobia or Erytophobia or Ereuthophobia	redlights, blushing, or red colour.
Febriphobia or Fibriphobia or Fibriophobia	fever.
Felinophobia	cats.
Francophobia	France or French culture.
Frigophobia	cold or cold things.
Galeophobia or Gatophobia	cats.
Gallophobia or Galiophobia	Fear France or French culture.
Gamophobia	marriage.
Geliophobia	laughter.
Gelotophobia	being laughed at.
Geniophobia	chins.
Genophobia	sex.
Genuphobia	knees.
Gephyrophobia or Gephydrophobia or Gephysrophobia	crossing bridges.
Germanophobia	Germany or German culture.
Gerascophobia	growing old.
Gerontophobia	old people or of growing old.
Geumaphobia or Geumophobia	taste.
Glossophobia	speaking in public or of trying to speak.
Gnosiophobia	knowledge.
Graphophobia	writing or handwriting.
Gymnophobia	nudity.
Gynephobia or Gynophobia	women.
Hadephobia	hell.
Hagiophobia	saints or holy things.
Hamartophobia	sinning.
Haphephobia or Haptephobia	being touched.
Harpaxophobia	being robbed.
Hedonophobia	feeling pleasure.
Heliophobia	the sun.
Hellenologophobia	Greek terms or complex scientific terminology.
Helminthophobia	being infested with worms.
Hemophobia or Hemaphobia or Hematophobia	blood.
Heresyphobia or Hereiophobia	challenges to official doctrine or of radical deviation.
Herpetophobia	reptiles or creepy, crawly things.
Heterophobia	the opposite sex.
Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia	the number 666.
Hierophobia	priests or sacred things.
Hippophobia	horses.
Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia	long words.
Hobophobia	bums or beggars.
Hodophobia	road travel.
Hormephobia	shock.
Homichlophobia	fog.
Homilophobia	sermons.
Hominophobia	men.
Homophobia	sameness, monotony or of homosexuality or of becoming homosexual.
Hoplophobia	firearms.
Hydrargyophobia	mercurial medicines.
Hydrophobia	water or of rabies.
Hydrophobophobia	rabies.
Hyelophobia or Hyalophobia	glass.
Hygrophobia	liquids, dampness, or moisture.
Hylephobia	materialism or the epilepsy.
Hylophobia	forests.
Hypengyophobia or Hypegiaphobia	responsibility.
Hypnophobia	sleep or of being hypnotized.
Hypsiphobia	height.
Iatrophobia	going to the doctor or of doctors.
Ichthyophobia	fish.
Ideophobia	ideas.
Illyngophobia	vertigo or feeling dizzy when looking down.
Iophobia	poison.
Insectophobia	insects.
Isolophobia	solitude, being alone.
Isopterophobia	termites, insects that eat wood.
Ithyphallophobia	seeing, thinking about or having an erect penis.
Japanophobia	Japanese.
Judeophobia	Jews.
Kainolophobia or Kainophobia	anything new, novelty.
Kakorrhaphiophobia	failure or defeat.
Katagelophobia	ridicule.
Kathisophobia	sitting down.
Katsaridaphobia	cockroaches.
Kenophobia	voids or empty spaces.
Keraunophobia or Ceraunophobia	thunder and lightning.
Kinetophobia or Kinesophobia	movement or motion.
Kleptophobia	stealing.
Koinoniphobia	rooms.
Kolpophobia	genitals, particularly female.
Kopophobia	fatigue.
Koniophobia	dust.
Kosmikophobia	cosmic phenomenon.
Kymophobia	waves.
Kynophobia	rabies.
Kyphophobia	stooping.
Lachanophobia	vegetables.
Laliophobia or Lalophobia	speaking.
Leprophobia or Lepraphobia	leprosy.
Leukophobia	the color white.
Levophobia	things to the left side of the body.
Ligyrophobia	loud noises.
Lilapsophobia	tornadoes and hurricanes.
Limnophobia	lakes.
Linonophobia	string.
Liticaphobia	lawsuits.
Lockiophobia	childbirth.
Logizomechanophobia	computers.
Logophobia	words.
Luiphobia	lues, syphillis.
Lutraphobia	otters.
Lygophobia	darkness.
Lyssophobia	rabies or of becoming mad.
Macrophobia	long waits.
Mageirocophobia	cooking.
Maieusiophobia	childbirth.
Malaxophobia	love play.
Maniaphobia	insanity.
Mastigophobia	punishment.
Mechanophobia	machines.
Medomalacuphobia	losing an erection.
Medorthophobia	an erect penis.
Megalophobia	large things.
Melissophobia	bees.
Melanophobia	the color black.
Melophobia	Fear or hatred of music.
Meningitophobia	brain disease.
Menophobia	menstruation.
Merinthophobia	being bound or tied up.
Metallophobia	metal.
Metathesiophobia	changes.
Meteorophobia	meteors.
Methyphobia	alcohol.
Metrophobia	Fear or hatred of poetry.
Microbiophobia	microbes.
Microphobia	small things.
Misophobia or Mysophobia	being contaminated with dirt or germs.
Mnemophobia	memories.
Molysmophobia or Molysomophobia	dirt or contamination.
Monophobia	solitude or being alone.
Monopathophobia	definite disease.
Motorphobia	automobiles.
Mottephobia	moths.
Musophobia or Muriphobia	mice.
Mycophobia	Fear or aversion to mushrooms.
Mycrophobia	small things.
Myctophobia	darkness.
Myrmecophobia	ants.
Mythophobia	myths or stories or false statements.
Myxophobia	slime.
Nebulaphobia	fog.
Necrophobia	death or dead things.
Nelophobia	glass.
Neopharmaphobia	new drugs.
Neophobia	anything new.
Nephophobia	clouds.
Noctiphobia	the night.
Nomatophobia	names.
Nosocomephobia	hospitals.
Nosophobia or Nosemaphobia	becoming ill.
Nostophobia	returning home.
Novercaphobia	your step-mother.
Nucleomituphobia	nuclear weapons.
Nudophobia	nudity.
Numerophobia	numbers.
Nyctohylophobia	dark wooded areas or of forests at night
Nyctophobia	the dark or of night.
Obesophobia	gaining weight.
Ochlophobia	crowds or mobs.
Ochophobia	vehicles.
Octophobia	the figure 8.
Odontophobia	teeth or dental surgery.
Odynophobia or Odynephobia	pain.
Oenophobia	wines.
Oikophobia	home surroundings, house.
Olfactophobia	smells.
Ombrophobia	rain or of being rained on.
Ommetaphobia or Ommatophobia	eyes.
Omphalophobia	belly buttons.
Oneirophobia	dreams.
Oneirogmophobia	wet dreams.
Onomatophobia	hearing a certain word or of names.
Ophidiophobia	snakes.
Ophthalmophobia	being stared at.
Opiophobia	Fear medical doctors experience of prescribing needed pain medications for patients.
Optophobia	opening one's eyes.
Ornithophobia	birds.
Orthophobia	property.
Osmophobia or Osphresiophobia	smells or odors.
Ostraconophobia	shellfish.
Ouranophobia or Uranophobia	heaven.
Pagophobia	ice or frost.
Panthophobia	suffering and disease.
Panophobia or Pantophobia	everything.
Papaphobia	the Pope.
Papyrophobia	paper.
Paralipophobia	neglecting duty or responsibility.
Paraphobia	sexual perversion.
Parasitophobia	parasites.
Paraskavedekatriaphobia	Friday the 13th.
Parthenophobia	virgins or young girls.
Pathophobia	disease.
Patroiophobia	heredity.
Parturiphobia	childbirth.
Peccatophobia	sinning or imaginary crimes.
Pediculophobia	lice.
Pediophobia	dolls.
Pedophobia	children.
Peladophobia	bald people.
Pellagrophobia	pellagra.
Peniaphobia	poverty.
Pentheraphobia	mother-in-law.
Phagophobia	swallowing or of eating or of being eaten.
Phalacrophobia	becoming bald.
Phallophobia	a penis, esp erect.
Pharmacophobia	taking medicine.
Phasmophobia	ghosts.
Phengophobia	daylight or sunshine.
Philemaphobia or Philematophobia	kissing.
Philophobia	falling in love or being in love.
Philosophobia	philosophy.
Phobophobia	phobias.
Photoaugliaphobia	glaring lights.
Photophobia	light.
Phonophobia	noises or voices or one's own voice; of telephones.
Phronemophobia	thinking.
Phthiriophobia	lice.
Phthisiophobia	tuberculosis.
Placophobia	tombstones.
Plutophobia	wealth.
Pluviophobia	rain or of being rained on.
Pneumatiphobia	spirits.
Pnigophobia or Pnigerophobia	choking of being smothered.
Pocrescophobia	gaining weight.
Pogonophobia	beards.
Poliosophobia	contracting poliomyelitis.
Politicophobia	Fear or abnormal dislike of politicians.
Polyphobia	many things.
Poinephobia	punishment.
Ponophobia	overworking or of pain.
Porphyrophobia	the color purple.
Potamophobia	rivers or running water.
Potophobia	alcohol.
Pharmacophobia	drugs.
Proctophobia	rectums.
Prosophobia	progress.
Psellismophobia	stuttering.
Psychophobia	mind.
Psychrophobia	cold.
Pteromerhanophobia	flying.
Pteronophobia	being tickled by feathers.
Pupaphobia	puppets.
Pyrexiophobia	Fever.
Pyrophobia	fire.
Radiophobia	radiation, x-rays.
Ranidaphobia	frogs.
Rectophobia	rectum or rectal diseases.
Rhabdophobia	being severely punished or beaten by a rod, or of being severely criticized. Also magic or the magic wand
Rhypophobia	defecation.
Rhytiphobia	getting wrinkles.
Rupophobia	dirt.
Russophobia	Russians.
Samhainophobia	Halloween.
Sarmassophobia	love play.
Satanophobia	Satan.
Scabiophobia	scabies.
Scatophobia	fecal matter.
Scelerophibia	bad men, burglars.
Sciophobia Sciaphobia	shadows.
Scoleciphobia	worms.
Scolionophobia	school.
Scopophobia or Scoptophobia	being seen or stared at.
Scotomaphobia	blindness in visual field.
Scotophobia	darkness.
Scriptophobia	writing in public.
Selachophobia	sharks.
Selaphobia	light flashes.
Selenophobia	the moon.
Seplophobia	decaying matter.
Sesquipedalophobia	long words.
Sexophobia	the opposite sex.
Siderodromophobia	trains, railroads or train travel.
Siderophobia	stars.
Sinistrophobia	things to the left or left handed.
Sinophobia	Chinese, Chinese culture, Chinese language, etc.
Sitophobia or Sitiophobia	food or eating.
Snakephobia	snakes.
Soceraphobia	parents in law.
Social Phobia	being evaluated negatively in social situations.
Sociophobia	society or people in general.
Somniphobia	sleep.
Sophophobia	learning.
Soteriophobia	dependence on others.
Spacephobia	outer space.
Spectrophobia	specters or ghosts.
Spermatophobia or Spermophobia	germs.
Spheksophobia	wasps.
Stasibasiphobia or Stasiphobia	standing or walking.
Staurophobia	crosses or the crucifix.
Stenophobia	narrow things or places.
Stygiophobia or Stigiophobia	hell.
Suriphobia	mice.
Symbolophobia	symbolism.
Symmetrophobia	symmetry.
Syngenesophobia	relatives.
Syphilophobia	syphilis.
Tachophobia	speed.
Taeniophobia or Teniophobia	tapeworms.
Taphephobia Taphophobia	being buried alive or cemeteries.
Tapinophobia	being contagious.
Taurophobia	bulls.
Technophobia	technology.
Teleophobia	definite plans or of religious ceremonies.
Telephonophobia	telephones.
Teratophobia	bearing a deformed child or monsters or deformed people.
Testophobia	taking tests.
Tetanophobia	lockjaw, tetanus.
Teutophobia	German or German things.
Textophobia	certain fabrics.
Thaasophobia	sitting.
Thalassophobia	the sea.
Thanatophobia or Thantophobia	death or dying.
Theatrophobia	theatres.
Theologicophobia	theology.
Theophobia	gods or religion.
Thermophobia	heat.
Tocophobia	pregnancy or childbirth.
Tomophobia	surgical operations.
Tonitrophobia	thunder.
Topophobia	certain places or situations, such as stage fright.
Toxiphobia or Toxophobia or Toxicophobia	poison or of being accidently poisoned.
Traumatophobia	injury.
Tremophobia	trembling.
Trichinophobia	trichinosis.
Trichopathophobia or Trichophobia	hair.
Triskaidekaphobia	the number 13.
Tropophobia	moving or making changes.
Trypanophobia	injections.
Tuberculophobia	tuberculosis.
Tyrannophobia	tyrants.
Uranophobia or Ouranophobia	heaven.
Urophobia	urine or urinating.
Vaccinophobia	vaccination.
Venustraphobia	beautiful women.
Verbophobia	words.
Verminophobia	germs.
Vestiphobia	clothing.
Virginitiphobia	rape.
Vitricophobia	step-father.
Walloonphobia	the Walloons.
Wiccaphobia	witches and witchcraft.
Xanthophobia	the color yellow or the word yellow.
Xenoglossophobia	foreign languages.
Xenophobia	strangers or foreigners.
Xerophobia	dryness.
Xylophobia	wooden objects or forests.
Xyrophobia	razors.
Zelophobia	jealousy.
Zeusophobia	God or gods.
Zemmiphobia	the great mole rat.
Zoophobia	animals.

His First Flight: A Story on Overcoming Fears