photophobia

[foh-tuh-foh-bee-uh]

noun

1. Pathology.,  a painful sensitivity to or extreme intolerance of bright light, as in iritis.

2. an irrational or disproportionate fear of light.

photophobia

/ ˌfəʊtəʊˈfəʊbɪə /

noun

1. pathol abnormal sensitivity of the eyes to light, esp as the result of inflammation

2. psychiatry abnormal fear of or aversion to sunlight or well-lit places

Other Word Forms

• photophobic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of photophobia¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; photo- + -phobia

Example Sentences

Maybe it was this medicine that was causing the photophobia, the eye dryness and now the burning.

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Symptoms to be aware of include sudden onset of fever, headache, stiff neck, and can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, photophobia and altered mental status.

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Symptoms can include fever, headache, neck stiffness, malaise, photophobia, nausea and vomiting.

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Now, on top of that, she was diagnosed with photophobia, an intense sensitivity to light.

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Paramedic Gary White, who was called out on 18 May, said he had been told the patient might have meningitis but said he "couldn't detect any major symptoms such as a rash or photophobia".

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