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gynophobia

gynophobia

1 9.9
An extreme fear of women that makes being near them very hard
  • noun
  • /ˌɡɪnəˈfoʊbiə/
  • Specialized
: gynofobia
  • People with gynophobia may experience intense discomfort when interacting with women.

Examples

  • Treatment for gynophobia often involves therapy to address underlying fears and anxieties.

  • It is a great irony that Jung unconsciously upheld patriarchy, even though he himself suffered from it and sought to heal its wounds without full awareness of their source in misogyny and gynophobia.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • His gynophobia made it difficult for him to form healthy relationships with women.

How Afraid

gynophobia
  • Specialized
1 9.9
fear
∞ 1.0
nervousness
33 2.7
unease
21 4.4

Surface Forms

gynophobia singular
gynophobias plural

Morphology

gynophobia = phobia (semi-transparent) = gyno + phobia

Built from the combining element 'gyno-' (a bound Greek form meaning 'woman', not a standalone English word) + the productive suffix '-phobia' meaning 'fear', so the pattern is partially transparent for learners who know '-phobia' but 'gyno-' may be unfamiliar.

Etymology

The word gynophobia comes from Greek parts gynē 'woman' and phobos 'fear'. The gyn- part is the same as in gynecologist, a doctor for women's health, and phobia appears in many words for fears like arachnophobia. So, gynophobia means a strong, unhealthy fear of women.