Examples of hydrophobia in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Areas affected by wildfires or those with sandy soil are more prone to hydrophobia than loam or clay.
—
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 2025
Initial symptoms are similar to the flu before progressing to neurological symptoms like delirium, anxiety and hydrophobia (fear of water), as well as physical signs like seizures.
—Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 24 July 2025
Symptoms progress and become more severe as time goes on, which includes cerebral disfunction, anxiety, confusion, agitation, delirium, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, hydrophobia and insomnia.
—Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 3 May 2024
In fact, hydrophobia is such a classic symptom of the disease that early medical experts considered the word synonymous with rabies.
—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 3 Oct. 2023
Doctors published a case study in 2018 describing the case of a man who was diagnosed with rabies after experiencing hydrophobia.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2023
At that point, a person can show symptoms like confusion, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, insomnia, drooling, difficulty swallowing and hydrophobia, fear of water.
—Minali Nigam, CNN, 12 June 2019
Later symptoms include trouble swallowing, fear of water (hydrophobia), paralysis, seizure, coma, and eventual death.
—Bill Laitner, Detroit Free Press, 8 Sep. 2018
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 2025
Initial symptoms are similar to the flu before progressing to neurological symptoms like delirium, anxiety and hydrophobia (fear of water), as well as physical signs like seizures.
—Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 24 July 2025
Symptoms progress and become more severe as time goes on, which includes cerebral disfunction, anxiety, confusion, agitation, delirium, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, hydrophobia and insomnia.
—Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 3 May 2024
In fact, hydrophobia is such a classic symptom of the disease that early medical experts considered the word synonymous with rabies.
—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 3 Oct. 2023
Doctors published a case study in 2018 describing the case of a man who was diagnosed with rabies after experiencing hydrophobia.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2023
At that point, a person can show symptoms like confusion, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, insomnia, drooling, difficulty swallowing and hydrophobia, fear of water.
—Minali Nigam, CNN, 12 June 2019
Later symptoms include trouble swallowing, fear of water (hydrophobia), paralysis, seizure, coma, and eventual death.
—Bill Laitner, Detroit Free Press, 8 Sep. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Hydrophobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydrophobia. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hydrophobia
noun
hy·dro·pho·bia
ˌhī-drə-ˈfō-bē-ə 
1
: rabies
2
: an abnormal fear of water
hydrophobic
adjective
-ˈfō-bik
-ˈfäb-ik
Medical Definition
hydrophobia
noun
hy·dro·pho·bia
ˌhī-drə-ˈfō-bē-ə
1
: a morbid dread of water
2
a
: extreme fearfulness of swallowing liquids that is symptomatic of rabies and results from painful spasms of the throat
In classic cases, there is a fear of drinking liquids, or hydrophobia, despite thirst due to spasm of the throat muscles.—Lawrence K. Altman, The New York Times
Lawrence K. Altman, The New York Times
b
: rabies
Rabies victims at first feel a general malaise and restlessness, then grow increasingly agitated with painful spasms of the throat. … Soon they cannot drink, which is why rabies has been called "hydrophobia."—Wayne Biddle, A Field Guide to Germs
Wayne Biddle, A Field Guide to GermsLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share