aerophobia

ae·ro·pho·bi·a
A1E1R1O1P3H4O1B3I1A1
US/ˌɛə.ɹoʊˈfoʊ.bi.ə/

noun

A pathological aversion or sensitivity to air or the movement of air, especially as a symptom of rabies.

“I can't understand your aerophobia on days this warm.”

OriginEnglish aero- ← Ancient Greek ἀέρος (aéros) ← Proto-Hellenic *auhḗr →
Scrabble 17
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Meanings

nounaerophobia (uncountable)
  1. uncountablemedicineA pathological aversion or sensitivity to air or the movement of air, especially as a symptom of rabies.

    The patient was diagnosed after displaying both aerophobia and acute hydrophobia.

    1 more example

    Furious rabies, the more common presentation, involves the brainstem, the limbic system, the hypothalamus, and the autonomic center. It is characterized by hydrophobia, aerophobia, and episodic generalized arousal interrupted by periods of lucidity.

    2011 September 22, Daniel D. Truong, Robert P. Lisak, Roongroj Bhidayasiri, William Carroll, International Neurology, →ISBN, page 321
  2. uncountableAn aversion to fresh air, drafts or breezes.

    I can't understand your aerophobia on days this warm.

  3. uncountablelifestyleFear of flying

    Many first-time flyers suffer from aerophobia, though some hide it better than others.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
aviatophobiaaviophobiapteromerhanophobia

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ews-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ewsér
  3. Proto-Hellenic*auhḗr
  4. Ancient Greekᾱ̓ήρ (āḗr)
  5. Ancient Greekἀέρος (aéros)
  6. Englishaero-
  7. Englishaerophobia

From aero- + -phobia.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Danish aerofobi, flyskræk
  • aerofobifear of flying
  • flyskrækfear of flying
Finnish lentopelko
  • lentopelkofear of flying
Greek αεροφοβία, πετοφοβία
  • αεροφοβία (aerofovía)fear of flying
  • πετοφοβία (petofovía)fear of flying
Norwegian Bokmål aerofobi
  • aerofobifear of flying
Polish aerofobia, aerofobia
  • aerofobiafear of flying
  • aerofobiaaversion to air
Portuguese aerofobia
  • aerofobiafear of flying
Turkish aerofobi, uçak korkusu
  • aerofobifear of flying
  • uçak korkusufear of flying

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with aerophobia

phobiahomophobiaxenophobiaagoraphobiaclaustrophobiaaphobiaZenobiaphotophobiaarachnophobiaacrophobiahydrophobiaablutophobiaacephobiaacousticophobiaadverbophobiaagraphobiaaibohphobiaaichmophobiaalgophobiaaltophobiaamathophobiaamaxophobiaambulophobiaandrophobia
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

aerophobia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aerophobia

MLA

“aerophobia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aerophobia. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “aerophobia,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aerophobia.

Source: aerophobia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.