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

An abnormal dread of being too fat: Sharon’s sister was thought to suffer from adipophobia because she was extremely concerned about weighing too much and so she tried to eat very little at meal times.

Someone who has a terrible fear of cats: Linda’s friend, who is an aelurophobe, loves dogs, but dreads coming in contact with Linda’s tabby because he was scratched very badly by a feline once as a child.

An excessive or abnormal terror or panic of being close to any felines: Usually anyone who has aelurophobia dreads the thought of being clawed by them.

Some people react with shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, or feelings of extreme anxiety just at the sight of a cat, while for others aelurophobia is induced only if the creature comes very close or touches them.

In its most abnormal condition, a person who has an ailurophobia may stay home in order to avoid encountering a cat in the street or, in extreme cases, of even seeing one when he or she is in a vehicle.

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Descriptive of someone who has a morbid, or deathly, horror or detestation of cats: Greg never went to visit his aunt because he was aelurophobic and was unable to tolerate any contact with his aunt’s felines even though they were very friendly and well- behaved.

An extreme nervousness of flying or even of being near any aircraft: Ginny, who loved traveling by plane, couldn’t understand why her friend Jane had aerodromophobia because it restricted her long distance traveling to trains, busses, or to cars, none of which could transport her overseas to other countries.

Intolerance of high atmospheric humidity, such as certain plants: One example of aerohygrophobia concerns the flora of the tropics because they certainly cannot live in the Alps or in the Rocky Mountains!

An abnormal apprehension about being in airplanes or the abhorrence of vomiting because of airsickness: People who have aeronausiphobia are really afraid that they might throw out, or see others regurgitating, and they may also be very nervous about being nauseated themselves because of flying or of seeing others who are afflicted with the illness.

Someone who has aeronausiphobia is absolutely fearful about the possibility of the aircraft flying through turbulent air as it rises and drops abruptly which would cause him or her to be overwhelmed and to vomit.

An excessive horror of wind, air, or an intensive hatred of drafts, as in cases of hysteria or other nervous ailments: There are times when aerophobia is used to identify a person who is abnormally afraid of being in an aircraft when it is flying from place to place.

1. An excessive fear of crowded public places, like markets, or of the necessity of leaving the sheltered protection of home, parents, friends, etc.: Agoraphobia is considered to be one of the most common abnormal panics known.
2. A mental disorder characterized by an irrational anxiety of leaving the familiar setting of one's home or venturing into the open: Agoraphobia is so pervasive that a large number of external life situations are entered into reluctantly, or are avoided, because they are often associated with hysterical attacks.

A common characteristic of agoraphobia is a history of apprehensive attacks in which the person experiences symptoms of extreme excitement, distortion of perceptions, and an overwhelming sense of imminent catastrophe, loss of control, or dread of public humiliation.

Agoraphobia can cause an individual to begin experiencing anxiety in anticipation of dreadful reactions.

3. Etymology: derived from the Greek agora which means an "assembly" or "market place"; not "open spaces", as is commonly stated by some writers. Again, agoraphobia refers to the fears of streets and crowded places, not to "open spaces".

The agoraphobia page of extended information.

An exceptional or excessive fright of all wild animals: As a result of her agrizoophobia, Nancy never wanted to go to the zoo with her parents, or even with the others in her class at school because she was so apprehensive that one of the animals might attack and kill her.

1. A terror of crossing a busy boulevard: Jack, who suffered from agyiophobia, always tried to avoid walking to the other side of a street except when he was with a group of other people who were waiting for the light to change so he could walk across with them.
2. An excessive distrust of public places where help might not be available or from which escape might be difficult to achieve: Jackie loved to go by subway in her town, but her brother, who suffered from agyiophobia, avoided this completely and always walked whenever he could.

1. An excessive fright of pointed objects, such as knives, nails, and forks: Symptoms of aichmophobia may lead to unusual eating habits, such as eating alone or without silverware, or to the selection of an occupation in which the phobic person will not have to see or use dangerous implements or their symbolic equivalents.

A person who has aichmophobia also has a morbid distrust of being touched by pointed objects, such as the finger or other sharp or slender-pointed objects.

2. Etymology: from Greek aikhme, "spear" or "javelin" + phobia, "irrational fear", or "terror".

An abnormal horror of being beaten with a pointed stick: Alfred had a terrible dream once that an old and dangerous man wanted to hit him over and over again with a cane which had a very sharp end, and after waking up the following morning, he looked in his psychology book and found out that such a dreadful thought could be a result of aichmorhabdophobia.

An extreme hatred and dread of drunkenness: Mary is overwhelmed with alcoholophobia, because, as she grew up with parents who drank too many intoxicating beverages, she swore that she would never come in contact with this poisonous substance in any form and she even avoided medicine containing it.

An abhorrence of domestic fowls that may be a result of their aggressive behavior which has been encountered by some people: When chickens use their sharp beaks for nipping and pecking, as well as the claws on their feet, which are sharp and can be dangerous, and when they have been known to attack other animals as well as human beings, they influence some people to be afflicted with alektorophobia because they have observed or experienced such actions.

A few additional reasons for alektorophobia may include not only the threats of being attacked by chickens, but also because they eat food from the ground or manure piles, so there are individuals who are convinced that such actions contaminate the birds and those who eat them.