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Glite Dictionary
neophobia

neophobia

9.9
A strong fear of new or unknown things
  • noun
  • /ˌniːəˈfoʊbiə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : neofobia
  • His neophobia prevented him from trying new foods.

Examples

  • Some children display neophobia when introduced to unfamiliar foods at an early age.

  • Many people suffer from neophobia when faced with change.

  • Corporate neophobia can hinder innovation and adaptation to changing markets.

  • The scientist studied animal neophobia to understand avoidance behaviors toward new objects.

  • Children who struggle with neophobia often refuse to try new foods, sticking only to what they already know.

  • Her neophobia prevented her from joining any new clubs at school, as she was afraid of meeting unfamiliar people.

  • The therapist explained that neophobia can hinder personal growth by making it difficult to embrace new experiences.

Synonyms

phobia
vsneophobia
  • Specialized
57 5.1

A very strong, unreasonable fear of a specific thing or situation

is this same extreme fear but limited to new or unfamiliar things
misoneism
vsneophobia
  • Specialized
9.9

A strong dislike of new things or change

is a fear specifically directed at anything new or unfamiliar

How Fearful

neophobia
  • Specialized
9.9
wariness
6 5.4

Surface Forms

neophobia singular
neophobias plural

Morphology

neophobia = phobia (semi-transparent) = neo + phobia

The meaning is directly 'new' + 'fear', but both elements are Greek combining forms and 'neo-' may be less familiar to average learners.

Etymology

The word neophobia comes from Greek parts neo- 'new' and -phobia 'fear'. Like arachnophobia, which is 'fear of spiders', neophobia means a strong fear of anything new or unfamiliar.