Meanings
- uncountableThe fear of money, spending money, or having too much or not enough money.
In other words, they are "cheap," and if fear of spending small amounts of money is a form of chrematophobia, then phobias abound in the world.
1999, David L. Weiner, Gilbert M. Hefter, Battling the Inner Dummy: The Craziness of Apparently Normal People, Prometheus Books, →ISBN, page 1942 more examples
While most would take wealth if it were offered, and chrematophobia (a morbid fear of money) is practically unheard of, most people limit their rise to riches by both their emotional immaturities and their sensibilities and humanness.
2001, Ron Jarrett, Discovering the Millionaire in Every Child: Mastering the Decisions That Define Your Life, Word Association Publishing, →ISBN, page 65The fear of money, clinically named chrematophobia, is perhaps the most widely known financial fear. At its extreme, chrematophobia produces symptoms such as dizziness, perspiration, loss of breath, nausea, dry mouth, heart palpitations, and the inability to think clearly.
2006, Kelvin E. Boston, Who's Afraid to Be a Millionaire?: Mastering Financial and Emotional Success, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 15
Origin
- Ancient Greekχρῆμα“money”
- Englishchrematophobia
From Ancient Greek χρῆμα (khrêma, “money”) + -phobia.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
chrematophobia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chrematophobia
“chrematophobia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chrematophobia. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chrematophobia,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chrematophobia.
Source: chrematophobia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.