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Glite Dictionary
ailurophobia

ailurophobia

1 9.9
A very strong fear of cats that makes you avoid them
  • noun
  • /ˌeɪlʊəˈroʊfobiə/
  • Specialized
: ailurofobia
  • Her ailurophobia made it difficult for her to visit friends who had cats.
  • the fear of cats

Examples

  • You'll learn, if you don't already know, that ailurophobia is a fear of cats.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • People with ailurophobia often experience anxiety at the sight of a cat.

  • Therapy can help those suffering from ailurophobia learn to manage their fear of cats.

Antonyms

cat fancier
1 7.5

A person who breeds and cares for cats as a hobby

Surface Forms

ailurophobia singular
ailurophobias plural

Morphology

ailurophobia = phobia (opaque) = ailuro + phobia

The root 'ailuro' is not a standalone English word and requires specialized knowledge of Greek to understand its meaning related to cats.

Etymology

Ailurophobia comes from Greek parts ailuro- 'cat' and -phobia 'fear'. So ailurophobia is a very strong fear of cats, like arachnophobia, the fear of spiders.