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photophobia

[ foh-tuh-foh-bee-uh ]
/ ˌfoʊ təˈfoʊ bi ə /
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noun
Pathology. a painful sensitivity to or extreme intolerance of bright light, as in iritis.
an irrational or disproportionate fear of light.
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Origin of photophobia

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

OTHER WORDS FROM photophobia

pho·to·pho·bic, adjective, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use photophobia in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for photophobia

photophobia
/ (ˌfəʊtəʊˈfəʊbɪə) /

noun
pathol abnormal sensitivity of the eyes to light, esp as the result of inflammation
psychiatry abnormal fear of or aversion to sunlight or well-lit places

Derived forms of photophobia

photophobic, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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