A–Z list of phobias, fears and their meanings

A fear of foreign languages can affect everyday situations involving speaking foreign language, language class and mispronouncing. It may lead to avoiding interaction, rehearsing what to say, monitoring other people’s reactions, or replaying encounters afterwards.

Possible triggers

Being addressed in an unfamiliar language, attempting a conversation in another language or attending a language lesson.

Name origin

From Greek xenos (foreign) and glossa (tongue) with -phobia.

A fear of forests or wooded areas can affect everyday situations involving dense trees, dark woodland, remote forest and tree shadows.

Possible triggers

Entering a wooded path, walking between closely spaced trees or planning a visit to a forest.

Name origin

From Greek hylē (wood or forest) and -phobia.

Freedom itself is the focus of this term.

Possible triggers

Being given unrestricted choice, leaving a highly structured setting or having to decide your own direction.

Name origin

From Greek eleutheros (free) and -phobia (fear).

An informal name for fear focused on Friday the 13th, rather than the number thirteen in every setting.

Possible triggers

Noticing an upcoming Friday the thirteenth or arranging a journey or appointment on that date.

Name origin

A modern formation using Greek paraskeue (Friday), dekatria (thirteen) and phobos (fear).

A fear of frogs or toads can affect everyday situations involving frog jumping, pond frog, amphibian and frogs. 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

Noticing a frog near a pond, encountering a toad on a path or viewing close-up amphibian footage.

Name origin

From Greek batrachos (frog) and -phobia.

Also known as

Batracophobia

A fear of garlic can affect everyday situations involving cooking garlic, garlic smell, raw garlic and garlic breath. It may lead to restricting foods, checking ingredients or preparation, avoiding meals, shops or restaurants, or relying heavily on familiar choices.

Possible triggers

Smelling garlic during cooking, seeing garlic on a menu or being served food containing it.

Name origin

From Latin allium (garlic) and -phobia.

A broad or undefined sense of fear can affect many parts of everyday life even when there is no single clear trigger. It may involve constant scanning for danger, avoiding unfamiliar situations, seeking reassurance or finding it difficult to relax because something always feels as though it could go wrong.

Possible triggers

There may be no single clear trigger. An ordinary activity or uncertain situation may become a focus of a broader, undefined sense of fear.

Name origin

From Greek pan (all) and -phobia.

Also known as

Panophobia, Pantophobia

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

Glass as a material is the focus of the fear.

Possible triggers

Handling a drinking glass, approaching a glass display or seeing broken glass.

Name origin

From Greek hyalos (glass) and phobos (fear).

Also known as

Crystallophobia, Nelophobia

The fear can centre on God or on the prospect of divine anger.

Possible triggers

Hearing discussion of divine judgement, taking part in worship or thinking about divine anger.

Name origin

A New Latin formation using theo-, from Greek theos (God), and phobia, from Greek phobos (fear).