A fear of attractive women can affect everyday situations involving asking someone out, approaching women, beautiful women and dating. 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 woman you find attractive or anticipating a conversation with her.

Name origin

From Venus (Roman goddess of beauty) and -phobia.

Clothing is the focus of this descriptive name. Fear of wearing an item is not the same as ordinary discomfort from poor fit or an irritating material.

Possible triggers

Putting on an unfamiliar garment, fastening clothing around the body, or anticipating wearing a particular uniform.

Possible name origin

Latin vestis means clothing or a garment. The ending phobia comes from Greek phobos, meaning fear.

A fear of germs or contamination can affect touching everyday surfaces, using public places, eating, travel and contact with other people. It may lead to repeated washing or cleaning, checking, reassurance-seeking or avoiding situations that feel contaminated even when ordinary hygiene would be sufficient.

Possible triggers

Touching a shared surface, using a public bathroom or worrying that an object has become contaminated.

Name origin

From Greek mysos (pollution or contamination) and -phobia.

Also known as

Molysmophobia, Rhypophobia, Rupophobia, Germophobia, Verminophobia, Misophobia

A fear of sexually transmitted infection can affect everyday situations involving infection from sex, sexual health, STD and STI. 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 sexual health, waiting for a sexual-health test result or reading about sexually transmitted infections.

Name origin

From Latin Venus (love) and -phobia.

Also known as

Cypriphobia

A fear of vaccinations can make arranging or attending an appointment feel difficult. It may lead to postponing appointments or treatment, worrying for days beforehand, seeking repeated reassurance, or avoiding healthcare that would otherwise be straightforward.

Possible triggers

Receiving a vaccination invitation, discussing the appointment or entering the treatment room.

Name origin

From Latin vacca (cow, via vaccination history) and -phobia.

A fear of vampires or blood-drinking creatures can affect everyday situations involving blood drinking creature, night monster, vampire story and vampire imagery. It may lead to avoiding certain places, images, stories or times of day, checking surroundings, seeking reassurance, or staying away from reminders of the feared idea.

Possible triggers

Watching a vampire film, seeing a vampire costume or reading a story about blood-drinking creatures.

Name origin

From Latin sanguis (blood) and vorare (to devour) with -phobia.

A fear of vegetables can affect everyday situations involving leafy veg, raw vegetables, green veg and vegetables. It may lead to restricting foods, checking ingredients or preparation, avoiding meals, shops or restaurants, or relying heavily on familiar choices.

Possible triggers

Seeing vegetables on a plate, preparing them for cooking or being offered a vegetable dish.

Name origin

From Greek lakhanon (vegetable) and -phobia.

Also known as

Lachanophobia

A fear of vehicles can affect everyday situations involving riding in vehicles, cars, buses and trains. It may lead to avoiding certain journeys, routes or vehicles, planning extensively, relying on other people for transport, or cancelling trips altogether.

Possible triggers

Approaching a parked vehicle, standing near moving traffic or anticipating a journey in a vehicle.

Name origin

From Greek okhos (vehicle) and -phobia.

Also known as

Amaxophobia, Hamaxophobia, Motorphobia

A fear of veins can affect looking at your arms, seeing visible veins on other people, blood tests and other medical situations. It may lead to looking away, covering parts of the body, avoiding appointments or becoming highly alert to veins beneath the skin.

Possible triggers

Noticing visible veins, seeing a close-up anatomical image or anticipating a vein-related examination.

Name origin

From Greek phleps (vein) and -phobia.

A fear of very short stature can affect public places, work and social situations involving people of noticeably short stature. It may lead to avoidance, discomfort or withdrawal that interferes with ordinary interaction and where you feel able to go.

Possible triggers

Encountering an image or person of very short stature. This illustrates the recorded meaning, not a reason to regard anyone as threatening.

Name origin

From Greek nanos (dwarf) and -phobia.