Having an extreme or irrational fear of something specific. It describes someone who experiences intense anxiety or panic when confronted with their feared object or situation.
From Greek 'phobos' meaning 'fear' or 'flight,' combined with the suffix '-ic.' The term gained psychological significance in the 19th century as mental health professionals began categorizing specific fears.
Phobic responses reveal how our ancient survival mechanisms can misfire in modern contexts - someone might have the same physiological response to a spider as their ancestors had to a saber-tooth tiger. These fears often develop through evolutionary preparedness, where we're biologically primed to fear certain things.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.