agoraphobia
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of agoraphobia
Compare meaning
How does agoraphobia compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Frolicking in a huge field of flowers might sound like a great time. But if you suffered from agoraphobia, it would be terrifying — because you would be afraid of open spaces. In a world with so many fears, there’s a phobia for every occasion. Agoraphobia is the fear of wide open spaces. The Greek root agora means “public open space” and “marketplace,” so agoraphobia is also the fear of crowds, like the kind you’d find in a busy supermarket. Like all phobias, agoraphobia can make someone panic and freak out, so if you see a person experiencing agoraphobia, maybe put them inside a closet and see if that helps.
Vocabulary lists containing agoraphobia
Phobia Fever
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Never Fear: Phobia, Phobic
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Psychological Conditions and Disorders
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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.
Agoraphobia meant that the garbage didn’t always make it out of the house for pickup.
From New York Times • Jul. 5, 2022
Agoraphobia can’t be diagnosed until someone has experienced at least six months of symptoms, severe enough to affect daily life.
From Washington Post • Apr. 29, 2022
Agoraphobia, which may include panic attacks, involves elevated and persistent fear about at least two of the following situations, according to the latest diagnostic criteria.
From Washington Post • Apr. 29, 2022
Weekes, author of Simple, Effective Treatment of Agoraphobia, has treated 1,200 agoraphobics in person and 4,000 more with records, tapes and letters.
From Time Magazine Archive
I kept thinking rather accusingly of the Agoraphobia tapes.
From Through these Eyes The courageous struggle to find meaning in a life stressed with cancer by Isaacson, Lauren Ann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
