phobo-, phob-, -phobia, -phobias, -phobe, -phobiac, -phobist, -phobic, -phobism, -phobous

1. An obsessional fear of bathing: Activities based on ablutophobia may include avoidance of washing for long periods of time, an abnormal anxiety when even considering showering or when people are actually trying to clean themselves with water, and even their excessive dread when they see others who are washing.
2. A dread of water or of being seen in the nude: Some people who have ablutophobias are overly anxious that their bodies will be criticized or compared with those of others, while some simply have an abnormal fear of being in warm or cold water.

The ablutophobias which Susan's sister suffered from, included being terribly afraid of going near swimming pools.

Descriptive of a person who has a persistent or abnormal anxiety of bathing or washing: The ablutophobic woman struggled and yelled at the hospital staff when they wanted her to shower before the operation.

David's roommate at the university was ablutophobic which made living in the same room with him too difficult, so David made arrangements to move in with a non-ablutophobic student.

The department of psychiatry at t the hospital started a group program for ablutophobic individuals in hopes of generating a better solution for their psychological conditions.

1. An excessive apprehension of skin infestation by mites or ticks: A person who is abnormally alarmed about getting head lice can be identified as suffering from acarophobia.
2. Fear of small objects, such as insects, worms, mites, and non-living things like needles and pins: Some people are so afraid of bugs and beetles that they seal off their windows, vacuum and sweep several times a day, and feel anxious outside their "cleansed" homes or apartments.

Anyone who has an abnormal fear of mites, other small insects, or worms: Janet, being an acarophobiac, always seems to have an irrational dread of being bitten by tiny bugs of any kind.

An extreme anxiety about consuming sour or bitter tasting foods or liquids: Individuals who are affected by acerbophobia avoid eating anything that is even slightly unsavory or distasteful.

A term indicating an abnormal nervousness about having any sharp tasting edibles or liquids: Acerophobia is used for people who cannot tolerate foods which they consider to be rancid or stale.

A horror of being in the dark or existing in any unlighted areas: An achluophobia involves refraining from going out at night, increased anxiety as evening approaches, not wanting to look outside the window in order to avoid seeing the nocturnal environment, avoidance of looking into dark rooms, and always having some kind of light available.

In botany, the intolerance of some plants to exist in acidic soils: The acidophobia of some flora means that they can only survive and grow in soil having some lime or by having fertilizers containing calcium and nitrogen.

A reference to plants which cannot grow in acidic situations: Examples of acidophobic vegetation include alfalfa and clover, which are grown for fodder.

An uncommon and overly apprehensive concern about sounds: An elderly woman who had lived many years without any contact with friends, relatives, or other people, was overly sensitive to any noise that she did not cause, and so it is proper to assume that she had a condition known as acousticophobia!

An extreme anxiety of hearing noises in general or specific noises or sounds: Bertha, who suffers from acousticophobia, reacts with fright to unusual or unexpected uproars because she feels as if her environment is completely out of control and she is unable to stop the frightening clamors.

New York mayor started campaign to crack down on noise

A great hatred of certain insects based on the vast amounts of destruction which are caused by such bugs: Acridophobia involves disastrous swarms of grasshoppers and locusts that are like gigantic animated tumbleweeds that roll onward, during which the forward edge descends to feed as others pass overhead, and those that are left behind rise up and rejoin the hoard as they move on to consume other areas of vegetation.

Relating to the hatred of grasshoppers and locusts which consume great areas of vegetation: Some farmers in the midwest of the U.S. have severe acridophobic feelings regarding the plagues that such grain eaters cause, especially those who have lost their crops because of such devastators.

An excessive discomfort of heights, elevators, climbing ladders, pinnacles, etc.; a dread of sharp points: Acrophobia is one of the most common fears among people.

Those who have acrophobia are afraid of being on high floors of buildings or even on the tops of hills or mountains and they often feel overly anxious when they approach the edge of bridges, rooftops, stairwells, and railings.

Sometimes individuals who are afflicted with acrophobia not only have an excessive fear, but they feel an uncontrollable urge to jump off.

There are some people who suffer from acrophobia and also have fantasies and physical sensations of falling even when they are standing on firm ground.

Those who are affected by acrophobia in moving platforms for people, or on escalators, balconies, and stairways, are probably fearful of altitudes just as they are with the terror of flying in aircraft.

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A person who has a strong feeling of panic when he or she is in high places of any kind: Linda discovered that she was an acrophobic after experiencing the breakdown of a glassed-in elevator which was located on the outside of a building.

An Acrophobic Shared His Experiences

1. For one man, life was an unnerving affair.
2. The "high anxiety" of a twenty-seven year old civil servant suffered from a condition that restricted both his personal and professional lifestyles.
3. His walk-up apartment in the city where he lived was about six feet above ground level which he considered "safe" enough.
4. He worked on the fourth floor of a downtown office building where he generally avoided windows.
5. If he looked out, it was straight across at the windows of a neighboring building. He didn't dare look down at the hustle and bustle below.
6. This phobic always walked the four floors, up and down, because the elevator was a "no-no" for him.
7. His acrophobia made him avoid high rises, airplane rides, and car trips through mountainous areas.
8. Jaunts to trendy penthouse restaurants were out, as were midway and cable car rides and such "in" sports as mountain climbing, sky-diving, and hang-gliding were obviously out of the question.
9. "Height makes me light-headed. I start to tremble and talk reassuringly to myself. If I look down to the ground from a high place, I feel nauseous and want to vomit. I have an overwhelming urge to get out of there, just to get away."
10. Although it meant personal sacrifice, this acrophobic learned to live with his phobia. "So far I've been able to get around it. I just don't go to high places. I can find alternate places to go, and other things to do."