Essential Word Roots: Never Fear: Phobia, Phobic

He discovered while training that he was afflicted with acrophobia — fear of heights. New York Times (Aug 26, 2015)

In her last months, her agoraphobia became so severe that she was unable to leave her room. Washington Post (Sep 15, 2016)

Many people suffer from arachnophobia, which is the fear of spiders. Salon (Feb 24, 2019)

For some, claustrophobia manifests in elevators or subways; for others, it arises during MRIs; for many, it happens in more situations than one. US News (May 12, 2016)

For people that are claustrophobic, there will be a larger space available. Washington Times (May 21, 2016)

Indeed, humans who suffer rabies experience hydrophobia and difficulty swallowing, which lets the virus build up in the victims' mouth. Salon (Aug 9, 2020)

With other phobias, professionals will often recommend slowly exposing yourself to the fear, like someone afraid of heights spending gradually more time on a balcony. New York Times (Mar 15, 2021)

She is phobic and I don’t want to alarm her. The Guardian (Nov 17, 2016)

Those who suffer from triskaidekaphobia associate the number 13 with bad luck or danger due to superstitions. Time (Oct 13, 2017)

South African troops were deployed to areas of Johannesburg on Tuesday night to help quell ongoing bouts of anti-immigrant violence after a rash of xenophobic attacks spread across the nation in recent weeks. Time (Apr 22, 2015)

Zoophobia refers to a fear of animals. Most of the time, this fear is directed at a specific type of animal. However, it’s also possible for a person with zoophobia to fear all or many types of animals.
– Healthline (April 21, 2021)