Skip to main content
zoophobia

zoophobia

9.6
A very strong fear of animals that you cannot control
  • noun
  • /zoʊəˈfoʊbiə/
translation icon : zoofobia
  • Therapy helped him gradually overcome his severe zoophobia.

Examples

  • His zoophobia made it impossible for him to visit friends who had pets.

  • After being chased by a dog as a child, she developed zoophobia.

  • Her zoophobia prevents her from visiting the zoo.

  • Many people with zoophobia avoid pets.

  • His zoophobia causes him to feel extreme anxiety whenever he sees an animal.

  • After a traumatic incident with a cat, her zoophobia grew to the point where she couldn't enter a park.

  • With therapy, he learned to manage his zoophobia and even started volunteering at an animal shelter.

Antonyms

9.0

Feeling strong love for animals and caring for them

How Afraid

zoophobia
9.6
phobia
  • Specialized
57 5.1
fear
1.0
unease
19 4.4
calmness
9 2.7

Surface Forms

zoophobia singular
zoophobias plural

Morphology

zoophobia = phobia (semi-transparent) = zoo + phob + ia

The word is formed by adding the combining form zoo- 'animal' to phobia, but the combining form is less immediately transparent than an ordinary English prefix.

Etymology

Zoophobia comes from two Greek parts: zoo- meaning 'animal', as in zoo, and -phobia meaning 'fear', as in claustrophobia. So, zoophobia simply means 'fear of animals' and is used for an extreme or unreasonable fear of animals.