Meaning & use

phobia

noun·Academic

An intense, irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation.

See it in a sentence

His phobia of heights kept him from ever climbing the observation tower.

A fear of spiders is one of the most common phobias reported by adults.

A note on using this word

Unlike ordinary fear, a phobia is typically excessive relative to the actual danger and can interfere with daily life.

Words with a similar meaning

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