acrophobia

[ak-ruh-foh-bee-uh]

noun

Psychiatry.

1. an irrational or disproportionate fear of heights.

   I knew my acrophobia would keep me off of the competitive diving platforms, but I was surprised when walking the diving board three feet above the pool deck also terrified me.

acrophobia

/ ˌækrəˈfəʊbɪə /

noun

1. abnormal fear or dread of being at a great height

acrophobia

1. An abnormal fear of heights.

Other Word Forms

• acrophobic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of acrophobia¹

First recorded in 1890–95; acro-, -phobia

Word History and Origins

Origin of acrophobia¹

C19: from _acro- + _-phobia

Example Sentences

Had I had acrophobia before, or did my subsequently lifelong case of it begin then and there?

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Another program, Now I Can Do Heights, caters to people who suffer from acrophobia, by teleporting users to settings high above ground.

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The effect is a kind of vertigo or acrophobia — exciting and unpleasant at the same time.

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It caused multiple audience members during a screening to have a mild case of acrophobia.

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He also works with Daniel Freeman on treatments for persecutory delusions and acrophobia.

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