Meaning & use
glossophobia
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Meaning
noununcountabletechnical
An intense, often irrational fear of speaking in front of other people.
Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun, so it does not take 'a' or a plural form: 'She has glossophobia,' not 'a glossophobia.'
Patterns
- have glossophobia
- suffer from glossophobia
- a fear of public speaking
His glossophobia made him avoid any class presentation.
Many people with glossophobia feel physically ill before speaking to a crowd.
The therapist specializes in treating glossophobia in teenagers.
Common combinations
- severe glossophobia
- Her severe glossophobia kept her from applying for jobs that required presentations.
- suffer from glossophobia
- He suffers from glossophobia and always asks to work alone.
- overcome glossophobia
- With practice, she managed to overcome her glossophobia.
- glossophobia treatment
- The clinic offers a short glossophobia treatment program.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stage fright
- This is the everyday term for nervousness before performing, not a clinical fear; it is less formal and less severe than glossophobia.
- speech anxiety
- This is a broader, more neutral phrase that can describe mild nervousness, while glossophobia suggests a stronger, diagnosable fear.
Word family
- glossophobic adjective
- Describes someone who has this fear: 'a glossophobic student.'
Commonly confused: glossophobia or claustrophobia?
glossophobia vs claustrophobia
Claustrophobia is the fear of enclosed spaces, not of speaking. The similar '-phobia' ending can cause confusion.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'glossophobia' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Glossophobia is an uncountable noun meaning fear of public speaking, so it fits 'dread the oral exam.' Option An is wrong because it uses 'a' and describes spiders, not speaking; C and D treat it as a place or food.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “glossophobia”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.