acarophobia
Acarophobia is an extreme fear of very tiny bugs. If you suffer from acarophobia, the idea of getting head lice is completely terrifying.
Most people have a dislike or even disgust for creepy crawly bugs, but when that normal feeling becomes overwhelming and exaggerated, it might be diagnosed as acarophobia. A person with this disorder has a horror of small crawling insects, or even the delusion that his skin is crawling with imaginary bugs. The word is rooted in the Greek akari, "mite or tick," and phobos, "fear or terror."
Definitions of acarophobia
-
a morbid fear of small insects and mites and wormstype of:zoophobiaa morbid fear of animals
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘acarophobia'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
Send us feedback
Word Family
Vocabulary lists containing acarophobia
Phobia Fever
Got a fear of being buried alive? We got a word for that! Check out this list of common and obscure phobias.
