phobia

noun

Definition of phobianext
as in panic
an extremely strong dislike or fear of someone or something His fear of crowds eventually developed into a phobia.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of phobia Maybe your motive was to overcome a particular phobia, say, or heal from a really bad breakup. — Jenna Ryu, SELF, 11 Feb. 2025 In one study, 27 percent of hospital employees reported avoiding the flu vaccine because of their phobia. — Emily Matchar, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2025 This phobia can be addressed with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy guided by a professional. — Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025 Similarly, a 2019 study in JAMA Psychiatry followed 579 New Zealand children over three decades and found that children exposed to lead were more likely to grow up to have anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias, or substance abuse issues. — Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 24 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for phobia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phobia
  1. panic
  2. terror
  3. scare
  4. anxiety
  5. fright
Noun
  • The sight of strangers or unexpected knocks on the door trigger panic and tears, out of fear that death will follow.
    — Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Pivot smarter, not just faster Not all pivots are smart; some are just panic moves.
    — Melissa Houston, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of panic
Noun
  • The disclosure came in filings from the Manhattan district attorney’s office responding to requests by Mangione’s lawyers ahead of his trial on murder and terror offenses stemming from the Dec. 4 fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown.
    — Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2025
  • And like Project 2025, Esther and the Trump administration's moves that mirror much of it are sounding alarms among progressives who say the effort promotes censorship, unfairly labels protesters as terror supporters and is a tool of Christian nationalism.
    — Russell Contreras, Axios, 25 Mar. 2025
Definition of terror
Noun
  • Chelsea and Freddie Freeman's son is showing encouraging progress following his health scare last summer.
    — Hannah Sacks, People.com, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Just today, the composer and lyricist of Fellow Travelers, an opera based on Thomas Mallon’s 2007 novel about the anti-gay lavender scare of the 1950s, withdrew the work from the 2025-26 season.
    — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2025
Definition of scare
Noun
  • They are marketed as an alternative for pain relief, anxiety, and sleep disorders.
    — Steve Banker, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Recently announced job cuts at Johns Hopkins University, one of Maryland’s largest employers, and tens of thousands of others across the nation, however, are happening with an unsettling speed and efficiency, leaving countless workers in a state of anxiety, uncertainty and despair.
    — Alan M. Langlieb, Baltimore Sun, 31 Mar. 2025
Definition of anxiety
Noun
  • Objects are often askew and out of frame, and everyday sounds like a toilet flush or blinds being pulled assume a low, staticky growl, as though frights fueled by childish imagination.
    — Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025
  • In a second Instagram Stories post, the singer offered another look at the cake, featuring a large bust of a clicker, the fungal zombie-esque frights from the Last of Us video game franchise and HBO series of the same name.
    — Gil Macias, People.com, 13 Jan. 2025
Definition of fright

Browse Nearby Words

phlegmatic
phobia
phobias
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Phobia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phobia. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on phobia

Nglish: Translation of phobia for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about phobia

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