A fear of churches can affect everyday situations involving religious service, church, cathedral and mass. 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

Entering a church, attending a service or being invited to an event held in a church.

Name origin

From Greek ekklēsia (assembly or church) and -phobia.

A fear of cliffs or precipices can affect everyday situations involving edge of cliff, mountain edge, steep drop and cliff.

Possible triggers

Approaching a cliffside viewpoint, following a path beside a steep drop or seeing a sheer rock face.

Name origin

From Greek kremnos (cliff) and -phobia.

Fear arises during the act of climbing. This differs from being frightened simply by seeing stairs or a slope.

Possible triggers

Approaching a staircase to climb, being asked to use a ladder or planning an uphill route.

Name origin

From Greek klimax (ladder or staircase) and -phobia (fear).

A fear of clocks can affect everyday situations involving ticking clock, time ticking, wall clock and clock. It may lead to avoiding touching, using or being near the object, asking others to deal with it, changing routines, or checking surroundings for the trigger.

Possible triggers

Noticing a wall clock, hearing a clock tick or entering a room with several visible clocks.

Name origin

From Greek chronos (time) and metron (measure) with -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.

Clothing buttons are the focus. The reaction can involve disgust as well as fear.

Possible triggers

Fastening a buttoned shirt, handling loose buttons or seeing a row of buttons on clothing.

Possible name origin

The name is commonly linked to Modern Greek words for buttons or fastening buttons, together with -phobia (fear). Its exact formation is uncertain.

A fear of clouds can affect everyday situations involving dark clouds, storm clouds, overcast sky and cloudy weather.

Possible triggers

Noticing cloud cover building, looking up at a cloudy sky or seeing cloud formations in photographs.

Name origin

From Greek nephos (cloud) and -phobia.

A fear of clowns can affect parties, circuses, entertainment venues, advertising and events where a clown might appear. It may lead to checking in advance, avoiding particular events, leaving suddenly or becoming highly alert to clown faces, costumes or make-up.

Possible triggers

Encountering a clown at an event, seeing clown make-up or watching a clown character on screen.

Name origin

Origin uncertain; possibly from Greek kolobatheron (stilt-walker) combined with -phobia.

A fear of clusters of holes can affect everyday situations involving hole pattern, clustered holes, porous texture and small holes. It may lead to scanning for the sensation or visual cue, avoiding particular environments or objects, leaving situations early, or arranging surroundings to prevent encountering it.

Possible triggers

Examples include noticing the clustered holes in a sponge or honeycomb, looking closely at a lotus seed pod or seeing a close-up photograph of these patterns.

Name origin

From Greek trypa (hole) and -phobia.

A fear of cockroaches can affect everyday situations involving kitchen roach, cockroach, roach and infestation. 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 cockroach in a room, seeing one move across a floor or encountering close-up footage.

Name origin

From Greek katsarida (cockroach) and -phobia.