neophobia
Britishnoun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Explanation
If you suffer from neophobia, you're terrified of new things. Your neophobia might keep you from moving out of your dark, cramped apartment into a new house. People with neophobia have deep anxiety and fear associated with any experience or thing that's new. If your grandmother seems scared to learn how to use a computer, it may be because of neophobia. The word is often used by biologists who study animals, too: the behavior of certain birds tends to be affected by neophobia. The word itself combines neo, or "new" in Greek, and phobos, or "fear."
Vocabulary lists containing neophobia
Phobia Fever
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: phob
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
