Meanings
- uncountableAbnormal fear or dislike of messiness, often associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Yes, I have to, I have ataxophobia.
2006, Jeanne Evans, Short Case Files, →ISBN, page 1054 more examples
"...You saw how he acted this morning. He's nervous and irritable and he dreads any noise or confusion — " "Ataxophobia," Tom murmured.
1975, A. l. furman, Dog Stories More, →ISBN, page 36I'm working, however, on instilling a case of venustraphobia (fear of beautiful women—another use for Vicks) in my partner, and my daughter could use a little ataxophobia (fear of disorder or untidiness).
2003, Joanne Friedman, It's a Horse's Life!, →ISBNWhile Victoria acknowledges that he is more talented, better looking, and more stylish than her, it seems that his calm appearance is something of an illusion as well. He recently admitted that he suffers from ataxophobia (fear of disorder) to the point where he feels compelled to throw out drink cans in the refrigerator if there is an uneven number.
2007, Andrew Morton, Posh & Becks, →ISBN, page 20Stories about international soccer star David Beckham's fear of disorder, or ataxophobia, have often found their way into the media. Beckham has organized his closets so that each shirt hangs according to its color.
2009, Hal Marcovitz, Phobias, page 14
Origin
Cite this entry
ataxophobia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ataxophobia
“ataxophobia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ataxophobia. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ataxophobia,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ataxophobia.
Source: ataxophobia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.