Meanings
alternative anthrophobia
- uncountableA profound fear of human beings, or of human society.
The affection is unlike anthropophobia, because this is characterized by dislike of men, and decided aversion to sexual intercourse.
1880, Edward Bliss Foote, Plain Home Talk about the Human System, 4th edition, page 4382 more examples
It was when anthropophobia set in, when he was made uneasy by people who walked too close to him, that, sagely viewing his list and seeing how many phobias were now checked, he permitted himself to rest.
1925, Sinclair Lewis, ArrowsmithHe was suffering from anthropophobia, a typical Japanese symptom which shows alienation, and liberation, from the embracing community.
2004, Toshio Kawai, “Postmodern consciousness in the novels of Haruki Murakami,”, in The Cultural Complex: Contemporary Jungian Perspectives on Psyche and Society, →ISBN, page 97Synonyms: social anxiety, social phobia
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA profound fear of human beings, or of human society.
Origin
- Ancient Greekἄνθρωπος“man, human”
- Englishanthropophobia
From anthropo- + -phobia. Both elements are borrowed from Ancient Greek ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos, “man, human”) + φόβος (phóbos, “fear”) respectively.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan antropofòbia
- antropofòbiafear of human beings
Chinese Mandarin 人類恐懼症 /人类恐惧症
- 人類恐懼症 /人类恐惧症fear of human beings
Finnish ihmispelko, ihmiskammo
- ihmispelkofear of human beings
- ihmiskammofear of human beings
- antropofobiafear of human beings
French anthropophobie
- anthropophobiefear of human beings
German Anthropophobie, Menschenscheu
- Anthropophobiefear of human beings
- Menschenscheufear of human beings
Japanese 対人恐怖症
- 対人恐怖症 (taijin kyōfushō)fear of human beings
Korean 대인공포증
- 대인공포증 (daein'gongpojeung)fear of human beings
Polish antropofobia
- antropofobiafear of human beings
Portuguese antropofobia
- antropofobiafear of human beings
Swedish antropofobi
- antropofobifear of human beings
Tagalog taosikway
- taosikwayfear of human beings
Ukrainian антропофо́бія
- антропофо́бія (antropofóbija)fear of human beings
Cite this entry
anthropophobia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anthropophobia
“anthropophobia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anthropophobia. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “anthropophobia,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anthropophobia.
Source: anthropophobia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.