-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
Examples of hydrophobia in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
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
The other type, furious rabies, can cause hallucinations, lack of coordination, a fear of water — a symptom known as hydrophobia — and fear of fresh air or drafts.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2023
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
Later symptoms include trouble swallowing, fear of water (hydrophobia), paralysis, seizure, coma, and eventual death.
—Bill Laitner, Detroit Free Press, 8 Sep. 2018
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
Over time, symptoms that are more specific to brain dysfunction appear and may include difficulty sleeping, anxiety, confusion, hallucinations, agitation, partial paralysis, difficulty swallowing, and hydrophobia, a fear of water.
—Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press, 3 July 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.
Word History
Etymology
Late Latin, from Greek, from hydr- + -phobia -phobia
First Known Use
1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Articles Related to hydrophobia
Dictionary Entries Near hydrophobia
Cite this Entry
“Hydrophobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydrophobia. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Kids 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
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
More from Merriam-Webster on hydrophobia
Nglish: Translation of hydrophobia for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of hydrophobia for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hydrophobia
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share