Meanings
nouncherophobia (uncountable)
- rareuncountableaversion to being happy
She clasped her hands tightly around my back and said, 'Sorry I spoke to you like that. I'm frightened, that's all. In psychology it's called cherophobia — fear of happiness. I'm afraid of getting hurt. Promise me you'll never leave me.'
2013, Ma Jian, Beijing Coma, page 128Synonyms: hedonophobia
Synonyms & antonyms
nounaversion to being happy
Similar
Origin
From Ancient Greek χαρά (khará) + -o- + -phobia.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic شِيرُوفُوبِيَا, رُهَاب السَّعَادَةُ
- شِيرُوفُوبِيَا (šīrūfūbiyā)Translations
- رُهَاب السَّعَادَةُ (ruhāb as-saʕādatu)Translations
Cite this entry
APA
cherophobia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cherophobia
MLA
“cherophobia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cherophobia. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cherophobia,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cherophobia.
Source: cherophobia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.