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Glite Dictionary
osmophobia

osmophobia

9.9
Strong dislike or fear of certain smells that makes you feel unwell
  • noun
  • /ˌɒzməˈfoʊbiə/
  • Specialized
: osmofobia
  • People with osmophobia often feel anxious or nauseous when they encounter strong odors.

Examples

  • Migraine attacks often feature severe nausea and vomiting, photophobia, phonophobia, and osmophobia.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Disturbances occurring in other areas of the brainstem and hypothalamus generate symptoms of nausea and vomiting, photophobia, phonophobia, and osmophobia.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Kelman, L. (2004). Osmophobia and taste abnormality in migraineurs: A tertiary care study. Headache, 44(10), 1019-1023.

    Academic text (2009)

  • He experienced osmophobia whenever he was near powerful scents, causing him to feel dizzy.

  • During her childhood, she realized that her osmophobia made it difficult for her to be around perfumes.

How Sensitive

osmophobia
  • Specialized
9.9
sensitive
195 2.7

Surface Forms

osmophobia singular
osmophobias plural

Morphology

osmophobia = phobia (semi-transparent) = osmo + phobia + osmo

The bound element '-phobia' meaning 'fear' is clear, but the combining form 'osmo-' meaning 'smell' is technical and unfamiliar to many learners, so the full meaning is only partly inferable.

Etymology

The word osmophobia comes from two Greek parts: osmo- meaning 'smell' and -phobia meaning 'fear', the same -phobia in arachnophobia. So osmophobia is a strong dislike or fear of certain smells, which can make people avoid places with strong scents.