Meanings
- uncountableThe fear of needles and other pointed or sharp objects.
In aichmophobia the person develops a pathological fear of sharp and pointed objects. He or she fears pieces of broken glass, scraps of metal, nails, and scissors. Fear of this kind leads to all sorts of eccentric habits.
1977, George W. Kisker, The disorganized personality2 more examples
Some people cannot stand knives, swords, bayonets, anything sharp; psychiatrists have a word for it: aichmophobia. Idiots who drive cars a hundred miles an hour on fifty-mile-an-hour roads will nevertheless panic at the sight of a bare blade.
1963, Robert Heinlein, Glory Road, Ch.1, at p.10“Hmm,” said Catherine. “It looks like something out of a field hospital.” And she shot a tiny forbidding glance at Nick, who saw that it was probably the aichmophobia, the horror of sharp objects, that made the serving and carving of a haunch of venison impossible for her.
2004, Alan Hollinghurst, chapter 5, in The Line of Beauty […], London: Picador, →ISBNSynonyms: belonephobia, trypanophobia
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe fear of needles and other pointed or sharp objects.
Origin
- Ancient Greekαιχμή“spearhead”
- Englishaichmophobia
From Ancient Greek αιχμή (aikhmḗ, “spearhead”) + -phobia.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Dutch aichmofobie
- aichmofobiefear of pointed or sharp objects
Finnish aikmofobia
- aikmofobiafear of pointed or sharp objects
German Aichmophobie
- Aichmophobiefear of pointed or sharp objects
Italian aicmofobia
- aicmofobiafear of pointed or sharp objects
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with aichmophobia
Cite this entry
aichmophobia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aichmophobia
“aichmophobia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aichmophobia. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “aichmophobia,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aichmophobia.
Source: aichmophobia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.