aquaphobia

American  

[ak-wuh-foh-bee-uh, ah-kwuh‑] / ˌæk wəˈfoʊ bi ə, ˌɑ kwə‑ /

noun

Psychiatry.

1. an irrational or disproportionate fear of water, especially anxiety in deep water or when submerging one's face in water.

   He'd almost drowned as a child and never got over his subsequent aquaphobia.

---

aquaphobia British  

/ ˌækwəˈfəʊbɪə /

noun

1. an abnormal fear of water, esp because of the possibility of drowning Compare hydrophobia

---

Other Word Forms

• aquaphobic adjective

Etymology

Origin of aquaphobia

First recorded in 1875–80; aqua- + -phobia

Explanation

Someone with aquaphobia, an extreme fear of water, would probably not have fun on a beach vacation or at a poolside hangout. Maybe they would prefer a day out in the desert? Aquaphobia is an intense fear of drowning or being exposed to water. While it's always wise to be careful around water, especially large bodies of water and swimming pools, aquaphobia goes way beyond normal caution. Someone suffering from aquaphobia may faint or have a panic attack when near water. The word aquaphobia is formed from the words aqua, meaning "water," and phobia, meaning "an unusually intense fear."

Example Sentences

She was working on a video about aquaphobia that she hoped to sell.

From New York Times • Aug. 29, 2014

He didn’t fear baths or rain, as some aquaphobia sufferers do.

From New York Times • Aug. 29, 2014

To defeat aquaphobia, you have to get wet.

From New York Times • Aug. 29, 2014

He had aquaphobia, a nasty case of it.

From New York Times • Aug. 29, 2014

But before and after the toothy one terrorized beach swimmers, sea monsters cued the aquaphobia of many a movie fan.

From Time Magazine Archive