haphephobia

American

[haf-uh-foh-bee-uh] / ˌhæf əˈfoʊ bi ə /

noun

an extreme fear or dislike of touching or being touched.

Other Word Forms

haphephobic adjective

Etymology

Origin of haphephobia

First recorded in 1890–95; from Greek haphḗ “a touch,” derivative of háptein “to grasp, sense, perceive” + -phobia

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.

I don’t think I suffer from haphephobia, or haptephobia, or thixophobia, which all mean fear of touching or being touched; I just don’t like to be hugged, embraced, pulled, grabbed or bunched up next to chatty rewards members on tight Southwest flights.

From Salon

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