Meanings
- uncountableThe fear of stairs and steep slopes.
Bathmophobia, as with other clinical fears, is generally not diagnosed in children unless it persists for more than six months.
2011 November 10, Claire Bates, “Mother once forced to go down shopping centre steps on her BOTTOM finally overcomes fear of stairs after 38 years”, in Daily Mail2 more examples
It is closely related to bathmophobia, which is a fear of stairs or steep slopes, and climacophobia, which is a fear of stairs, climbing, or of falling down stairs.
2011, Martin Bodek, The Year of Bad Behavior: Bearing Witness to the Uncouthiest of Humanity, Lulu.com, published 2011, →ISBN, page 16For visitors falling ill or who are prone to acrophobia (fear of heights) or bathmophobia (fear of stairs), restoration workers installed a tiny emergency elevator to enable Park Service rangers to ascend quickly all the way to Liberty's neck and then spirit people out.
2012, Edward Berenson, The Statue of Liberty: A Transatlantic Story, Yale University Press, published 2012, →ISBN, page 180Synonyms: climacophobia
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe fear of stairs and steep slopes.
Origin
- Ancient Greekβαθμός“step”
- Englishbathmophobia
From Ancient Greek βαθμός (bathmós, “step”) + -phobia.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
bathmophobia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bathmophobia
“bathmophobia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bathmophobia. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bathmophobia,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bathmophobia.
Source: bathmophobia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.