What’s the right word for these phobias?

Ok, let's accept that we all are frightened of something or the other. Some of us may be scared of heights while others may be scared of being in a closed room but we all have it.

The fear of something is referred to as "phobia" but what's the right word to use for the phobia of different things. Let's find out.

1. A friend of yours says that he has got "bathophobia". What do you think is he afraid of?

a. Water
b. Bathing
c. Depth
d. Height

Answer: Depth


2. Someone doesn't want to get married and says that he is scared of marriage. What kind of phobia would define his condition?

a. Gamophobia
b. Gynaephobia
c. Meisophobia
d. Synophobia

Answer: Gamophobia

Explanation: "gamos" is the greek word for "marriage" while "gyne" is for "women". So, someone who is afraid of marriage has "gamos + phobia" i.e. "gamophobia" while someone who is afraid of "women" has got "gynaephobia". Synophobia is just the fear of "togetherness".


3. Pyrophobia is the irrational fear of:

a. Pirates
b. Feet
c. Outstanding payments
d. Fire

Answer: Fire


4. Do you know some people are scared of "darkness"? What is this fear called as?

a. Neophobia
b. Nyctophobia
c. Photophobia
d. Astrophobia

Answer: Nyctophobia

Explanation: The fear of any "change" or anything "new"is "Neophobia". "Photo" refers to "light", so the fear of light is "Photophobia" while the fear of "darkness" refers to "Nyctophobia".

When the fear of light is specifically from "sunlight" it is called "heliophobia"

"Astrophobia" is the fear of "lightning" that happens during rains.


5. Cynophobia is the fear of:

a. Dogs
b. Cats
c. Fish
d. Frog

Answer: Dogs

Explanation: The fear of cats is called "Ailurophobia" while the fear of "dogs" is "Cynophobia".
And yes, there are some people who are scared of frogs and fish as well. They are called to possess "Batrachophobia" and "Ichthyophobia" respectively.

And, we also know that some people are dead scared of snakes, they are said ot have "ophidiophobia"


6. The fear of diseases is called:

a. Pharmacophobia
b. Iatrophobia
c. Pathophobia
d. Toxicophobia

Answer: Pathophobia

Explanation: When someone is scared of "medicines", they suffer from "Pharmacophobia" while if they are scared of "doctors", it is "Iatrophobia".

The fear of diseases is "Pathophobia" and that of "poisons" is "Toxicophobia".

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