trypophobia

American  

[trip-uh-foh-bee-uh] / ˌtrɪp əˈfoʊ bi ə /

noun

1. an irrational or disproportionate feeling of discomfort or revulsion at the sight of clustered holes or bumps, as seen in sponges, honeycombs, certain seed pods, soap bubbles, and bubbles in batter: although not officially recognized as a specific phobia, trypophobia is a subject of ongoing psychiatric research.

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Usage

What does trypophobia mean? Trypophobia is a word for the strong feeling of discomfort or revulsion at the sight of tiny holes or bumps. People who report this feeling are repulsed by things like the tiny seeds on strawberries, small bubbles in batter or soap foam, and the clusters of small holes in things like sponges and seed pods. Trypophobia is a relatively recent word that’s still very rarely used except by those whom it affects. It’s not officially recognized as a mental disorder. Example: A lot of people like intricate patterns with tiny details, but for a person with trypophobia, the patterns may trigger feelings of extreme disgust.

Other Word Forms

• trypophobic adjective

Etymology

Origin of trypophobia

First recorded in 2005–10; from Greek trŷp(a) “hole” + -o- ( def. ) + -phobia ( def. )

Explanation

If the sight of a cluster of small bubbles makes you feel frightened and queasy, you may suffer from trypophobia, an intense fear of repeated patterns of holes. For some people, looking at anything that's dotted with small holes triggers a feeling of fear or disgust. Although trypophobia isn't a specific psychiatric disorder, it's considered a phobia, or deep, specific fear. Repeated patterns of holes, like the ones in honeycomb, the head of a lotus seed pod, or barnacles on a rock, make people with trypophobia feel disgusted, fearful, or both. Trypophobia was coined in 2005, from the Greek trûpa, "hole," and phobia, "fear."

Example Sentences

Dr. Kupfer suggested that trypophobia might not represent fear, but rather a disgust reaction to signs of parasites or infectious diseases, which can both result in clusters of lesions or pustules.

From New York Times • Jul. 27, 2021

And anyway, these masks have the dubious distinction of being both conceptually and aesthetically horrifying, to say nothing of what they’ll do to people with trypophobia.

From Slate • Sep. 4, 2020

He even pushes buttons he may not have even intended to; if you suffer from trypophobia, you’re in for an extra-hellish experience.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2020

Do I love that the actual speaker looks like a trypophobia disaster?

From The Verge • Feb. 20, 2020

Some online support groups ban the posting of images that could trigger people, but over on Reddit, the subreddit for trypophobia is quite the opposite.

From The Guardian • Nov. 19, 2019