An excessive fear of depths or of descending into depths: Bathophobia occurs when a person looks down into a well or when he or she is going down into a body of water in a submarine.

Bathophobia includes the terror of losing control of oneself while in a high place, or of falling from a height and thus being killed.

The meaning of bathophobia does not involve an intense dislike of bathing because in this case, batho or bathos means "deep", and neither "bath" nor "bathing".