A–Z list of phobias, fears and their meanings

A fear of long waits or prolonged experiences can affect everyday situations involving waiting room, waiting, queue for ages and long wait. It may lead to avoiding change, delaying plans, seeking reassurance, or keeping life unusually restricted so that the feared situation is less likely to arise.

Possible triggers

Joining a slow queue, waiting without a clear end time or anticipating a prolonged appointment.

Name origin

From Greek makros (long) and -phobia.

A fear of making decisions can affect everyday choices, work, relationships and situations with several possible options. It may lead to postponing decisions, repeatedly checking pros and cons, asking others to choose or seeking reassurance that you have made the right choice.

Possible triggers

Choosing between job offers, selecting from several options or being asked to make a decision on the spot.

Name origin

From Latin decidere (to decide) and -phobia.

A fear of marriage or commitment can affect everyday situations involving long term relationship, settling down, wedding and engagement. It may lead to avoiding intimacy or difficult conversations, pulling back from relationships, seeking reassurance, or making choices primarily to prevent the feared emotional or physical situation.

Possible triggers

Discussing marriage, being asked about a shared future or considering a long-term relationship commitment.

Name origin

From Greek gamos (marriage) and -phobia.

A fear of men can affect everyday situations involving being alone with a man, group of men, male strangers and masculine voices. It may lead to avoiding interaction, rehearsing what to say, monitoring other people’s reactions, or replaying encounters afterwards.

Possible triggers

Being introduced to a man, sharing a space with men or anticipating an appointment with a male professional.

Name origin

From Greek anēr / andros (man) and -phobia.

Also known as

Arrhenphobia, Hominophobia

A fear of money can affect shopping, paying bills, banking, handling cash and financial conversations. It may lead to avoiding payments, relying on other people, postponing financial tasks or feeling distressed whenever money has to be handled or discussed.

Possible triggers

Handling cash, making a payment or discussing money during a transaction.

Name origin

From Greek chrema (money) and -phobia.

Also known as

Chrematophobia

A fear of neglecting responsibilities can affect everyday situations involving letting people down, forgetting tasks, missing responsibilities and guilt about tasks. It may lead to putting things off, over-preparing, repeatedly checking, seeking reassurance, or turning down opportunities that feel too exposing.

Possible triggers

Leaving home without checking a task, handing over a responsibility or wondering whether an important duty was missed.

Name origin

From Greek paralipō (to neglect) and -phobia.

The fear concerns seeing a naked person or an uncovered part of the body.

Possible triggers

Using a communal changing area, seeing nudity in a film or anticipating undressing in front of someone.

Name origin

From Greek gymnos (naked) and phobos (fear).

Also known as

Nudophobia

A fear centred on obesity or body size can affect mirrors, clothing, eating, social situations and encounters with different body shapes. It may lead to body checking, avoidance, reassurance-seeking or choices becoming organised around preventing or escaping the feared appearance.

Possible triggers

Encountering obesity-related imagery or focusing on body size. Body size does not make a person threatening.

Name origin

From Greek kakos (bad) and morphe (form) with -phobia.

A fear of ordinary life or routine can affect everyday situations involving everyday life, normal day, mundane tasks and ordinary things. It may lead to avoiding change, delaying plans, seeking reassurance, or keeping life unusually restricted so that the feared situation is less likely to arise.

Possible triggers

Following the same daily schedule, imagining a conventional future or feeling that life is becoming routine.

Name origin

From Greek koinos (common or ordinary) and -phobia.

A fear of other people’s opinions can affect everyday situations involving public debate, people sharing views, hearing opinions and disagreement. It may lead to avoiding interaction, rehearsing what to say, monitoring other people’s reactions, or replaying encounters afterwards.

Possible triggers

Being offered unsolicited advice, hearing disagreement with your view or being asked to listen to others' opinions.

Name origin

From Greek allos (other) and doxa (opinion) with -phobia.