photophobia
Americannoun
-
Pathology. a painful sensitivity to or extreme intolerance of bright light, as in iritis.
-
an irrational or disproportionate fear of light.
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
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of photophobia
Explanation
People with photophobia experience intense pain when they're exposed to bright light. Photophobia is a common symptom of a migraine headache. Although its main definition is "extreme light sensitivity," photophobia can also be an irrational fear of light. Its Greek roots are phōs, "light," and phobos, "fear." Many medical conditions can cause people to have eye or head pain when they're exposed to light, including TMJ, traumatic brain injury, cataracts, and eye injuries. If the midday sunshine sends you blinking painfully back into your dark house, you're either a vampire or you're suffering from photophobia.
Vocabulary lists containing photophobia
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.
Four years on, she says she is still struggling with the after-effects and suffers from chronic migraines, short term memory loss and photophobia - an extreme intolerance to bright lights.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
Maybe it was this medicine that was causing the photophobia, the eye dryness and now the burning.
From New York Times ● Aug. 11, 2021
Anyone who consumes a small amount of botulin-contaminated food develops double vision, photophobia, giddiness and sometimes nausea.
From Time Magazine Archive
The photophobia may be very severe when the local changes are slight.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 1 "Evangelical Church Conference" to "Fairbairn, Sir William" by Various
The conjunctiva was intensely congested, and there were lachrymation and very marked photophobia, but there were no signs of iritis, and no corneal clouding.
From Neuralgia and the Diseases that Resemble it by Anstie, Francis E.
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.
