Meanings
- uncountableThe fear of fear; the fear of developing a phobia.
When Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself," he was describing phobophobia -- the fear of being afraid.
2004 July 26, Heather Hatfield, “The Fear Factor: Phobias”, in WebMD1 more example
In particular, the rulemakers – here judges who craft free speech doctrine – may themselves display a pathological fear of succumbing to pathological fear, a kind of phobophobia.
2014, Adrian Vermeule, The Constitution of RiskSynonyms: phobiaphobia
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe fear of fear; the fear of developing a phobia.
Origin
From Ancient Greek φόβος (phóbos) + -phobia, equivalent to phobo- + -phobia.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 恐恐懼症 /恐恐惧症
- 恐恐懼症 /恐恐惧症 (kǒng kǒngjùzhèng)fear of fear
Finnish fobofobia
- fobofobiafear of fear
French phobophobie
- phobophobiefear of fear
German Phobophobie
- Phobophobiefear of fear
Greek φοβοφοβία
- φοβοφοβία (fovofovía)fear of fear
Italian fobofobia
- fobofobiafear of fear
Korean 공포공포증
- 공포공포증 (gongpogongpojeung)fear of fear
Norwegian fobofobi
- fobofobifear of fear
Portuguese fobofobia
- fobofobiafear of fear
Russian фобофо́бия
- фобофо́бия (fobofóbija)fear of fear
Spanish fobofobia
- fobofobiafear of fear
Turkish fobofobi
- fobofobifear of fear
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with phobophobia
Cite this entry
phobophobia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phobophobia
“phobophobia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phobophobia. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “phobophobia,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phobophobia.
Source: phobophobia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.