phobia

[foh-bee-uh] / ˈfoʊ bi ə /

NOUN

fear; dislike

Synonyms

STRONGEST

alarm anxiety aversion distaste dread fear fearfulness hang-up loathing obsession resentment revulsion trepidation

STRONG

avoidance awe detestation disgust dislike hatred horror irrationality neurosis repulsion terror

WEAK

thing about

Antonyms

STRONGEST

audacity boldness courage fearlessness guts nerve

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The plaintiff’s former therapist, Victoria Burke, testified that she diagnosed Kaley with body dysmorphia and social phobia, a type of anxiety disorder, in her early teens.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

One of my prompts on the app detailed my phobia of snails in detail.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 2026

Hope Jezzard's phobia of hospitals was so intense that it seemed inconceivable she would ever work in one.

From BBC • Dec. 15, 2025

At first her hospital phobia made the idea seem impossible but "over time the desire to try and help people trumped my fear," she says.

From BBC • Dec. 15, 2025

I guess you could call it a phobia.

From "Wonder" by R. J. Palacio

Vocabulary lists containing phobia

Friday the 13th

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Never Fear: Phobia, Phobic

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"Fears and Phobias"

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