Fear of otters? Fear of Ketchup? Fear of holes? The human psyche is rich and complex, and while many are scared of, say, loud noises or flying, these phobias take it to a new level. This list dives into the fascinating world of extremely rare fears, from cheeses and hands, to the inevitable fear of being scared. Be afraid, be very afraid...
1. Nomophobia
This one is a modern phobia that you might actually have yourself. Nomophobia is characterized by feelings of anxiety that arise from being out of a phone’s range of service, not having one’s phone charged, having no credit on one’s phone or misplacing it.
The desert or the woods are places that would likely cause nomophobia, but you could have it anywhere. It is believed that over 50 percent of cell phone users are affected by nomophobia.
2. Ancraophobia / Anemophobia
Both words are used to describe the same phobia: fear of wind. If you have this phobia, you become anxious by doors, open windows, hand dryers or overhead air vents, and you should probably not go to the beach on a wintery night.
It is believed that the fear is triggered by an experience embedded in the person’s subconscious.
3. Lutraphobia
Otters seem like the most adorable creatures, but some people are terrified by them: these people have what is called Lutraphobia. Most of the people who have this phobia have either been attacked or bitten by an otter in the past, or saw it happen to someone else. (To be fair, otters might be very cruel animals sometimes - especially if you’re a seal.)
Google it - that is, if you feel like having a new phobia.)
4. Chirophobia
There's nothing as romantic as holding hands and walking into the sunset, is it? Not if you ask people with Chirophobia: fear of hands.
The rare phobia can present as a fear of one's own hands or someone else's, but it's generally brought on by a traumatic experience, such as a hand injury or the onset of arthritis. We wonder if manicured hands are better or worse for those people!
5. Mortuusequusphobia
This long word is used to describe a super rare phobia: fear or ketchup.
Most children will laugh at this (and then add more ketchup to their dish), but one person who suffers from this phobia said: "I'm more scared of Heinz 57 than I am of death”.
6. Globophobia
When celebrating the birthday of people with Globophobia, please don't bring balloons - they're dead scared of them. Sometimes it's the fear of the balloons themselves, and sometimes it's the fear of them being popped (we can actually relate, TBH.)
People with Globophobia might keep away from birthday parties in general because of that fear. Fun fact: Oprah Winfrey has this phobia.
7. Spectrophobia
If you watched too many horror movies, you might have Spectrophobia: fear of mirrors and one’s own reflection.
The phobia tends to stem from a traumatic event involving mirrors, or unusually low self-esteem. You could also have watched the mirror scene from “Black Swan”.
8. Koumpounophobia
Speaking of movies, if you have Koumpounophobia, absolutely don't watch the movie "Coraline". Koumpounophobia is the fear of buttons - people who have that can’t touch buttons or even see them.
Spoiler alert: in the movie “Coraline”, a young girl is offered the opportunity to live in a dream world - if only she allows her “other mother” to sew buttons into her eyes.
9. Arachibutyrophobia
Ok, we’re done playing, let’s get serious: Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth. Some people with this condition are able to ear small amounts of peanut butter while others will avoid eating peanut butter or anything with the consistency of peanut butter altogether.
Arachibutyrophobia can stem from a greater phobia of things that are sticky or a fear of choking. It can also stem from an allergy to peanuts, or from a traumatic accident involving peanut butter.
10. Arithmophobia
Not all of us were good at math in high school. For some of us is was the most hated subject. But people with this phobia are scared of numbers in general, or of any calculations at all.
It is actually quite a bad one to have, as it heavily impacts your everyday life - from checking your bank account and paying bills, to simply going to the supermarket.
11. Plutophobia
While we’re at it, you probably with you had more money, but people who suffer from Plutophobia have a fear of money or wealth.
Their biggest nightmare is to get rich, and they really don't like wealthy people. They also don't like to see or touch money, or to deal with it in any way.
12. Xanthophobia
We all have color we love more and less, but people with Xanthophobia have one color they completely despise: the color yellow.
That makes life quite hard, as this color can be found anywhere, from school buses to flowers. (Plus, they must not understand how people think Minions are cute.)
13. Taphophobia
Taphophobia is the fear of being buried alive. While it is unlikely to happen to you today, in the 1700s, when it rose and peaked, plague was rampant, and there was actually a risk that your doctor might pronounce you dead - mistakenly.
This phobia was such a thing that escapable “safety coffins” were built, and corpses were often stored for long periods before burial to ensure they wouldn’t wake up.
14. Ombrophobia
If you think about it, rain is a barbaric thing: you stupid humans want water? No problem - it will pour from the sky on your head!
But people with Ombrophobia really don’t like rain - they are afraid of it. Which means, they really HATE winter, and really empathize with Tina Turner's I Can't Stand The Rain.
15. Chionophobia
Chionophobia is the fear of snow. Together with Ombrophobia (fear of rain), Lilapsophobia (fear of hurricanes), Cryophobia (fear of cold) and Ancraophobia (fear of wind), it falls into a category researchers’ have termed “natural environment phobias”.
One study suggested that people with these phobias may be more likely to have some kind of formal weather-related education, which saddles them with “a greater understanding of the potential dangers associated with severe weather.”
16. Koro Syndrome
This syndrome, so far identified mostly in Chinese, Japanese, and Indian men, makes people believe that their genitals will retract into their bodies, resulting in death.
In extreme cases, these people might go to extreme measures to pull their penis “back out” of their body, and we will say no more.
17. Pharmacophobia
We wonder how people with this phobia deal with the COVID-19 crisis: this is the fear of medicine. These people obsess with all the side effects from prescriptions and will refuse to take any medications for fear it might affect their body and mind.
Also, they hate the thought of needing medication to live a normal life.
18. Phonophobia
This is an “abnormal” and “unwarranted” fear of sound, according to a Malaysian research. The sounds are often normal, everyday sounds that cannot harm your hearing or cause you pain, like doors closing and loud conversation.
This condition sometimes overlaps with another one called “Hyperacusis,” which is an abnormally strong reaction to sound, stemming from the part of your brain that processes noise.
19. Myrmecophobia
Myrmecophobia is a fear of ants. It's usually applied to species of plants that recoil or don’t respond well in the presence of these insects, but some people have it, too.
You might think that it has to do mainly with being in nature, but researchers are interested in whether people with this condition will also freak out by the presence of robots around them.
20. Thalassophobia
We love the beach, but we also must admit that there is something downright terrifying at the sea at night. People with Thalassophobia have a fear of the ocean or deep, open water.
They are afraid of the unknown sea creatures lurking under them, but also are afraid of the unknown in the greater sense, according to Seán Harrington, who wrote in the book "Beasts of the Deep": “The deep sea offers us an oppressive and foreboding context - a space unexplored, unknowable and overwhelming”.
21. Ephebiphobia
Forever young? Not for people with Ephebiphobia: a fear of teenagers or adolescents. Nearly every generation of adults harbors mild forms of this phobia, as teens start to look “out of control” or backwards in some way.
For adults with more severe forms, spending time with teens can help dispel these fears.
22. Pogonophobia
Hipsters brought back the beard - but people with Pogonophobia really ain’t feeling it. Like, at all - they despise bears, and even fear them.
Bearded men have been historically portrayed as untrustworthy (sorry, Abraham Lincoln, you were one of the good guys), and political candidates are usually clean-shaven up to this day, as if to say they have nothing to hide.
23. Didaskaleinophobia
This means fear of going to school - another phobia that the COVID-19 pandemic might strengthen or pacify.
Usually it's because social or performance anxiety, but school environments are becoming more and more unsafe, with rampant bullying and the danger or school shootings.
24. Alektorophobia
Alektorophobia is the fear of chickens or hens. One study from 2016 tells the story of an 18 years old woman who had a frightening encounter with a hen when she was a child.
Later, whenever she saw a hen or chicken, she worried about being pecked or attacked. She even suffered from anxiety from dishes that contain chicken.
25. Linonophobia
No strings attached? Linonophobia refers to the fear of string. People who suffer from it might have experienced being tied up in the past, perhaps as a punishment, especially as a child. Some might have developed this fear because of watching TV or movies showing people being tied up while their houses were being robbed or being tied up when they were captured or kidnapped.
This fear of strings could be associated with their fear of being restrained or restricted. Linonophobes usually have no problems wearing clothes, but shoes with laces may be a problem, and they may prefer leather and slip on shoes.
26. Amathophobia
Amathophobia is a fear of dust - people who have it feel anxious around it, even though they realize it poses no threat.
According to one study, it occasionally shows up among librarians - people who are constantly around dust-covered old books.
27. Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia
This is one of the longest words in the dictionary - and, ironically, describes a fear of long words. It’s usually used in the context of patients with dyslexia, who may struggle with unusually long words.
It’s also sometimes called “Sesquipedalophobia”, if the full name is too long for you. Not a good phobia for German speakers.
28. Phobophobia
Talking about irony: Phobophobia is the fear of fear itself. It can lead to anxiety attacks and what some researchers describe as "free-floating anxiety."
People who suffer from it are highly aware of the ways fear affects us, and so they struggle to function out of a fear that they'll experience fear.
29. Zoophobia
Zoophobia is a fear of all animals. Symptoms include excessive sweating, trouble controlling muscles, dizziness, fainting, elevated heart rate, rapid, and shallow breathing when encountering an animal.
Just think about it - these people are also terrified of puppies, kittens and baby ducklings.
30. Chorophobia
Even alcohol can’t fix Chorophobia, which is a fear of dancing. People suffering from Chorophobia will do anything and everything to avoid dancing of any form or kind. Any event, person or situation that resembles, relates to or symbolizes dancing can trigger this fear of dancing.
Chorophobia is often associated with other fears, such as the fear of embarrassment, social phobia or the fear of crowds.
31. Allodoxaphobia
Allodoxaphobia is used to define the fear of opinions - a very rare phobia, and a terrible one, if you ask us. It is thought to be associated with situations where the person affected has not been able to properly express their opinion or has had their opinion rejected.
It is visible in social situations when the affected person refuses to involve themselves in discussions and can also reflect a fear of confrontation.
32. Somniphobia
We never remember the moment we fall asleep - and if you think about it, it's quite disturbing. If you think about falling asleep, you won't be able to fall asleep - and that's a real problem for people with Somniphobia, which is the fear of “initiating sleep”.
Some people experience sleep paralysis as they drift off - basically, not being able to move even though they’re still partly awake - and this can lead to Somniphobia.
33. Emetophobia
People with this phobia never drink too much, even on the rowdiest night out, as they have a severe fear of vomiting.
Researchers sometimes categorize this fear as a “social phobia,” because patients may fear vomiting because it would be embarrassing if it happened in front of other people. But let’s be honest, vomiting feels disgusting even if you’re all on your own.
34. Trypophobia
Trypophobia is an aversion to the sight of irregular patterns or clusters of small holes or bumps.
Although few studies have been done on Trypophobia, researchers hypothesize that it is the result of a biological revulsion that associates Trypophobic shapes with danger or disease, and may therefore have an evolutionary basis. Actually, when you look at that picture - don’t you feel even a little bit anxious?
35. Athazagoraphobia
Athazagoraphobia is the fear of forgetting or being forgotten. People who have it usually have some experience with amnesia, either in first person or with a close family member.
We wonder how these people perform in tests.
36. Turophobia
Lactose intolerant? You should be happy you’re just intolerant to cheese, and not freaked out by it. Melissa North of Kent, England, has had a cheese phobia ever since being given some at a friend's place as a child.
Now, in her twenties, even walking past cheese in the grocery store terrifies her: "I get so clammy and start to have a panic attack," she told the Daily Mail.
37. Omphalophobia
Omphalophobia is the fear of belly buttons. Yes, it is problematic to be afraid of a part of your own body. People with this phobia don't want to look, let alone touch or even think about belly buttons - not other people's and not their own.
They find it repulsive, and some of them are even afraid that their insides could spill out of their navels.
38. Panophobia
Panophobia is the fear of everything. Yes, you read that right. The term is used to describe patients with generalized anxiety disorders.
One recent study found that many Panophobics are often frightened by darkness or harmless noises. But, more broadly, people with Panaphobia are afraid stemming from no identifiable cause.
39. Alliumphobia
If you're scared of vampires, you'd probably be very suspicious of people with Alliumphobia - fear of garlic. It's not that they just don't like the taste - they might shake or feel unable to breathe when around garlic (or other pungent plants, like onions and chives.)
If you're not scared of it, by the way, garlic is very healthy: according to a study in a 2015 issue of the Journal of Immunology Research, a compound in garlic may have powerful anti-inflammatory effects.
40. Dextrophobia
Can't tell right from left? Those people can - and they suffer because of it. Dextrophobia is the fear of having objects to your right. It is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder that is a real burden, because imagine all the trouble it can cause everyday - you can’t even drive with vehicles to your right without becoming anxious.
Fear of things to the left side of the body also exists and is called Levophobia.
41. Siderophobia
Those of us living in big cities are disappointed that the light pollution makes it hard to see the stars in the sky, even when it's clear - but people with Siderophobia are happy with that.
Siderophobia is the fear of stars, and people who have it are usually overwhelmed by them because they serve as a reminder to how vast and uncontrollable the universe is.
42. Logophobia
Logophobia is the fear of reading - or learning how. People who suffer from this phobia have no problem using words when they speak, but when they see them on paper, they become breathless, shaky or paranoid.
Most of them don’t know how to read - and might even refuse to learn. As you can imagine, it makes life very, very hard.
43. Geliophobia
“A day without laughter is a day wasted”, said Charlie Chaplin, but people with Geliophobia would disagree. Geliophobia is the fear of laughter (not to be confused with Gelotophobia, the fear of being laughed at). Some of those who have it just feel slightly uncomfortable, but others could start to hyperventilate.
We wonder whether they have a sense of humor and just don’t like the laughter itself, or whether they are just very serious folks.
44. Eleutherophobia
"He who has overcome his fears will truly be free", said Aristotle - but what is being truly free is your worst nightmare? Eleutherophobia is the fear of freedom, and people who have it generally can’t do anything without taking an order from someone else, making them much more inclined to be followers than leaders.
They might be scared of the responsibilities that come with freedom, or just overwhelmed with the uncountable possibilities of life.
45. Symmetrophobia
Symmetrophobia is the fear of symmetry - a weird fear, considering that humans usually judge other people's beauty by how symmetrical their face is.
They might think of symmetry as perfection or extreme beauty that they aren’t worthy of being around. People with asymmetriphobia, on the other hand, have the fear of asymmetrical things.