Meanings
- uncountableThe fear of beautiful women.
Loveshyness is certainly not gynophobia, a fear of women in general, nor is it caligynephobia, a fear of beautiful women.
2009, Talmer Shockley, The Love-Shy Survival Guide, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, published 2009, →ISBN, page 192 more examples
[...] He looks over at me. “Whoa! Nice hair.” ¶ I pull down the visor and try not to laugh. My hair looks like I’ve stuck my finger in an electrical outlet. “Jake Jackson, you must get over your caligynephobia.” ¶ Jake raises his eyebrows. ¶ “Fear of beautiful women.” ¶ “I’m planning on working hard on that one in California. [...]”
2005, Dandi Daley Mackall, Love Rules, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.,, →ISBN, page 27In contrast, if we consider the example of somebody who has a fear of beautiful women (caligynephobia!), then it does not seem outrageous to argue that this fear of beautiful women is somehow an inappropriate emotional reaction or even an emotional disorder.
2008, Mick Power, Tim Dalglesih, Cognition and Emotion: From Order to Disorder, Psychology Press, published 2008, →ISBN, page 54
Origin
- Ancient Greekκαλλι-“beautiful”
- Englishcaligynephobia
From Ancient Greek καλλι- (kalli-, “beautiful”) + Ancient Greek γυνή (gunḗ, “female”) + New Latin -phobia, from Latin, from Ancient Greek φόβος (phóbos, “fear”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
caligynephobia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caligynephobia
“caligynephobia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caligynephobia. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “caligynephobia,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caligynephobia.
Source: caligynephobia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.