A–Z list of phobias, fears and their meanings

A fear of ants can affect everyday situations involving ants in house, ant nest, ant colony and ant trail. It may lead to scanning surroundings, avoiding places where the animal might appear, asking other people to check or deal with it, or leaving suddenly when one is seen.

Possible triggers

Seeing ants along a kitchen surface, noticing an ant trail outdoors or sitting near an ant nest.

Name origin

From Latin formica (ant) and -phobia.

Also known as

Myrmecophobia

A fear of cats can affect everyday situations involving stray cat, cat bite, hissing and scratching. It may lead to scanning surroundings, avoiding places where the animal might appear, asking other people to check or deal with it, or leaving suddenly when one is seen.

Possible triggers

Examples include visiting a home with a cat, encountering a cat in the street, hearing hissing or meowing, or watching a cat on screen.

Name origin

From Greek ailouros (cat) and -phobia.

Also known as

Gatophobia, Felinophobia, Elurophobia

The fear can concern faeces or the act of passing stools, rather than dirt in general.

Possible triggers

Using a toilet for a bowel movement, encountering animal droppings or anticipating cleaning soiled material.

Name origin

Copro- comes from Greek kopros (dung); phobos means fear.

Also known as

Scatophobia

A fear of failure can affect everyday situations involving getting it wrong, making mistakes, failing and failure. It may lead to putting things off, over-preparing, repeatedly checking, seeking reassurance, or turning down opportunities that feel too exposing.

Possible triggers

Starting a task with an uncertain outcome, entering a competition or submitting work for assessment.

Name origin

From Greek atychia (misfortune or failure) and -phobia.

Also known as

Kakorrhaphiophobia

A fear of falling in love can affect everyday situations involving getting close, romantic attachment, emotional intimacy and falling in love. 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

Realising you are developing romantic feelings, receiving an expression of affection or becoming emotionally close to someone.

Name origin

From Greek philos (loving) and -phobia.

This name describes fear of becoming fatigued or exhausted, rather than tiredness itself.

Possible triggers

Noticing tiredness, anticipating a demanding day or worrying that an activity will leave you exhausted.

Name origin

From Greek kopos (fatigue) and phobos (fear).

A fear of fear itself can make normal anxiety sensations, panic symptoms or moments of uncertainty feel threatening. It may lead to monitoring the body, avoiding situations where anxiety might occur, seeking reassurance or becoming preoccupied with preventing another episode of fear.

Possible triggers

Noticing familiar signs of fear or anticipating a situation in which you worry that fear itself will take over.

Name origin

From Greek phobos (fear) and -phobia.

The concern can involve feathers themselves, pictures or feathered objects, or the thought of being touched by a feather.

Possible triggers

Finding a loose feather, touching a feather-filled item or encountering feathers in a display.

Name origin

From Greek pteron (feather or wing) and -phobia (fear).

The fear can involve your own feet or someone else's, whether bare or covered. Seeing or thinking about feet can feel difficult, and some people avoid places where others are barefoot.

Possible triggers

Seeing bare feet, entering a shared changing area or anticipating touching a foot.

Name origin

The podo- part comes from Greek podos, referring to the foot.

The focus is female genital anatomy, rather than sexual intimacy in general.

Possible triggers

Encountering genital imagery, discussing intimate anatomy or anticipating an intimate situation.

Possible name origin

One suggested derivation links the name to Greek Eurotas, used figuratively for the vulva, together with -phobia (fear). The exact formation of this name is uncertain.

Also known as

Kolpophobia