nosophobia

American  

[nos-uh-foh-bee-uh] / ˌnɒs əˈfoʊ bi ə /

noun

Psychiatry.

1. an irrational or disproportionate fear of disease.

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nosophobia British  

/ ˌnɒsəˈfəʊbɪə /

noun

1. the morbid dread of contracting disease

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Other Word Forms

• nosophobic adjective

Etymology

Origin of nosophobia

First recorded in 1885–90; noso- + -phobia

Explanation

Nosophobia is an irrational fear of disease. If someone's anxiety about getting sick interferes with their normal, everyday life, they might have nosophobia. Like other phobias, nosophobia is an intense, often overwhelming worry. Phobia comes from the Greek phobos, "fear," and noso- means "disease." Many people diagnosed with nosophobia are terrified of specific illnesses, including cancer, flu, and tuberculosis. They often imagine they have symptoms of these diseases and might respond to these feelings by avoiding doctors — or by visiting them all the time.