Meanings
- uncountableThe fear, dislike, or hatred of holiness and/or of holy things.
Perhaps they are afraid that veneration of the saints may lead to putting them in the place of God as objects of worship. If they ever outgrow this hagiophobia they may some day venerate the Gloomy Dean as a saint.
1930, Selden Peabody Delany, Why Rome, The Dial Press, page 542 more examples
As regards Michael Zilk, Father Aurelian was perfectly justified in assuming that he was possessed with a devil, since all the signs favored this presumption, such as sudden paroxysms, abnormal bodily strength, hagiophobia, or strange dread of holy things, and demoniac ecstasy.
1895 November, E. P. Evans, “Recent Recrudescence of Superstition”, in The Popular Science Monthly, page 73When in the midst of the growing antagonism pusillanimous purveyors recite segments from hagiology and incite the masses with hagiophobia the violence may become uncontrollable since its cause becomes a virtual crusade.
1970, Julian A. Joffe, Studies in the History of Civilization, Philosophical Library, published 1970, page 70
Origin
Cite this entry
hagiophobia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hagiophobia
“hagiophobia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hagiophobia. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hagiophobia,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hagiophobia.
Source: hagiophobia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.