42 Rare Phobias That Sound Made-Up But Are Real

Decidophobia (Fear of making decisions)

Decidophobia is the fear of making decisions because the person does not trust their judgment. Decidophobia can cause a person to depend too much on others for guidance when making decisions, no matter how small or big. It could also be a symptom of dependent personality disorder.

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (Fear of long words) Paradoxically, it is also the longest word in the dictionary. It’s believed that the embarrassment caused by mispronouncing long words leads to the development of this irrational fear. This phobia is also more common in individuals struggling with dyslexia.

Ergophobia (Fear of work)

People with ergophobia commonly experience intense fear related to their workplace or working environment. Some people fear physical labor, while others may fear applying for jobs and attending interviews. Ergophobia would be the diagnosis in each of these situations. This rare phobia may result from job burnout. It can also be linked to a poor working environment, such as an abusive or hostile boss or the absence of work-life balance.

Trypophobia (Fear of closely packed holes). People with trypophobia may undergo extreme fear when exposed to seemingly ordinary things like sponges, bubble wraps, fruits with seeds, honeycombs, sunflowers, and even skin pores.

According to research, it's less about a fear of holes and more about an unconscious association between harmless objects and dangerous creatures due to their similar physical characteristics, such as repeating high-contrast bumps, circular patterns on their skin, or pits.

Phobophobia (Fear of phobias)

This is called free-floating anxiety, when a person spirals into a loop of anxiety because they fear the fear itself. Some people may be frightened by the physical signs of anxiety, including shallow breathing or lightheadedness. Others worry that they will develop more phobias.

Emetophobia (Fear of vomiting)

A severe fear of vomiting, seeing, hearing vomit, or even feeling sick is described as emetophobia. People with this phobia will try to minimize their dread by skipping work or school, avoiding social gatherings with friends, and eating out.

Octophobia (Fear of the number eight)

Those with octophobia fear the number 8, seeing it or even thinking about it. They can also be afraid of eight-piece sets of items. Its likeness to the infinity symbol may be the cause. The uncommon phobia may also result from a traumatic incident involving the number, like an accident on the eighth day of the month.

Interestingly, more phobias are also explicitly connected to particular numbers. Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia, for instance, is a fear of the number 666, whereas triskaidekaphobia is a fear of the number 13.

Arachibutyrophobia (Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth)

Many have experienced the unpleasant sensation of peanut butter sticking to the roof of their mouth. Yet, it never hindered one’s love for a crunchy spread. However, those with arachibutyrophobia are terrified of even the thought of it. This rare phobia can develop due to intense fear of sticky objects, choking, or a traumatic experience, such as a severe allergic reaction.

Deipnophobia (Fear of dining with others)

Fear of social gatherings is a common sign of deipnophobia. It could be caused by a fear of talking while eating and be connected to an obscured social phobia. The phobia may also result from unpleasant childhood experiences, such as being teased about how one eats or being scolded for not following dining etiquette.

Gerascophobia (Fear of getting older)

A person suffering from this irrational fear may experience severe emotional anguish and engage in potentially risky behaviors like limiting their food intake.

In one case study, a 14-year-old boy with gerascophobia reduced his food intake to avoid the nutrients necessary for growth, walked with a slumped posture to hide his height, and talked in a softer, higher-pitched voice to sound and appear younger.

Bananaphobia (Fear of bananas)

Not everyone likes the flavor, smell, or texture of bananas. According to some, the feel of overripe bananas is often compared to eating “slugs.” However, for a small batch of people, the dislike is so strong that they can’t be in the same room with the fruit. The most well-known case of bananaphobia was reported by The Daily Mail. Like the woman in the report, most instances start in childhood after coercing the kid into eating bananas by their parents or other adults to the point of experiencing nausea or vomiting.

Nomophobia (Fear of being without your phone)

People with nomophobia are overly anxious about not having their phone around, it not working properly, or having a low or empty battery. This weird phobia usually stems from addiction to mobile phones. And although addiction to smartphones is relatively common, nomophobia is typically categorized as rare.

Plutophobia (Fear of money)

Oh no, money! Although many people wish they had more money, those with plutophobia fear being wealthy, dealing with money, and being around rich people. Individuals with this rare phobia may even sabotage their careers to avoid getting promotions.

Ablutophobia (Fear of bathing, cleaning, or washing)

This phobia most commonly affects children and goes away when they grow older. Yet, it can still persist into adulthood or occur in adults. Because of irrational fear of showering, people with ablutophobia often face social isolation due to unpleasant body odor. A traumatic experience involving water or a fear of getting wet can both contribute to ablutophobia.

Omphalophobia (Fear of belly buttons)

Omphalophobia is the fear of seeing or touching belly buttons, including one’s own. To hide their belly button, they could even cover it with a bandage. People with this irrational fear will likely avoid places like the beach where their and others’ belly buttons might be exposed.

Podophobia (Fear of feet)

People with podophobia may become extremely uncomfortable or even have panic attacks when they touch, see, or are close to any foot. Individuals with an irrational fear of feet will likely avoid places like beaches, saunas, or swimming pools where people walk barefoot.

Dextrophobia (Fear of having objects to your right)

People who suffer from this condition can’t handle having anything near their right side. To ensure there are no items to the right of their body, a person with dextrophobia may engage in strange compulsions. This would imply that if someone with dextrophobia sat on a sofa, they would need to ensure that all the cushions, the remote, and other little things were on their left side.

Arithmophobia (Fear of numbers)

Many grow up hating math class, but people who suffer from arithmophobia (also known as numerophobia) have a genuine fear of dealing with numbers. Some individuals with arithmophobia may fear only specific numbers. If that's the case, the rare phobia is typically based on superstition or religious fears.

Vestiphobia (Fear of clothing)

The majority of those with vestiphobia experience fear of a particular garment. Others can fear wearing tight clothes because it makes them feel confined. This fear may result from an allergy to a certain fabric type or a traumatic occurrence connected to a particular piece of clothing. Those with a history of working in the military, such as soldiers, have been known to develop this fear. For example, associating military boots or bulletproof vests with traumatic war experiences might cause the phobia to manifest itself.

Alliumphobia (Fear of garlic)

Those with alliumphobia may experience shaking, difficulty breathing, or full-blown panic attacks around garlic or other strong-smelling vegetables like onions and chives. It’s much more than just a dislike of the pungent flavor. Alliumphobia causes people to avoid going to establishments that may contain garlic, such as restaurants and grocery stores. Unfortunately, concentrating on garlic’s health advantages isn’t likely to help.