Meaning & use
aquaphobia
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Meanings
noununcountabletechnical
A strong, unreasonable fear of water that causes serious anxiety or avoidance.
Grammar: Usually uncountable; use it with no article: she has aquaphobia.
Patterns
- have aquaphobia
- suffer from aquaphobia
- a fear of water
His aquaphobia began after he nearly drowned as a child, and he still avoids the sea.
People with aquaphobia may feel panic even in a shallow pool.
The therapist treated her aquaphobia by slowly introducing her to water.
noununcountablemedical
A fear of water as a medical condition listed among anxiety disorders.
Grammar: Used in medical and psychology texts, often without an article.
Patterns
- diagnose aquaphobia
- treat aquaphobia
Doctors may diagnose aquaphobia when the fear interferes with daily life.
Aquaphobia is treated with gradual exposure and talking therapy.
Common combinations
- suffer from aquaphobia
- He has suffered from aquaphobia since he was a teenager.
- overcome aquaphobia
- With therapy she gradually overcame her aquaphobia.
- severe aquaphobia
- Severe aquaphobia can stop people from bathing their own children.
- a form of aquaphobia
- Fear of the sea is one form of aquaphobia.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hydrophobia
- An older word for a fear of water, but today it usually means rabies, so aquaphobia is clearer for the fear itself.
- water phobia
- A plain everyday phrase with the same meaning, less formal than aquaphobia.
Word family
- aquaphobic adjective
- Having or showing a fear of water.
- aquaphobe noun
- A person who has a strong fear of water.
Commonly confused: aquaphobia or hydrophobia?
aquaphobia vs hydrophobia
Sounds similar, but in modern English hydrophobia usually refers to rabies, not simply a fear of water.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'aquaphobia' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Aquaphobia is an uncountable noun meaning a fear of water, so it fits 'has aquaphobia'. The other options use it as a verb or give the wrong meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “aquaphobia”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.