mysophobia

American

[mahy-suh-foh-bee-uh] / ˌmaɪ səˈfoʊ bi ə /

noun

Psychiatry.

an irrational or disproportionate fear of germs and contamination.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of mysophobia

First recorded in 1875–80; from Greek mýso(s) “pollution, defilement, terrible sight” + -phobia

Vocabulary lists containing mysophobia

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Mysophobia is a mild form of insanity characterized by a dread of the contact of dirt.

From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Pyle, Walter L. (Walter Lytle)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023