Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
teratophobia
noun
tɛrəˈtɒfəˌbiə
Definition
An intense fear of monsters or of the grotesque, often related to the fear of deformities.
Examples
- Many people experiencing teratophobia avoid films that feature monsters or graphic content.
- During childhood, she displayed signs of teratophobia, particularly when faced with images of mythological creatures.
Meaning
Teratophobia originates from Greek roots, where ‘teratos’ means monster and ‘phobia’ means fear. It describes an anxiety disorder characterized by a profound and irrational fear of anything considered to be a monster or grotesque, particularly in relation to physical deformities.
Synonyms
- monster phobia
- fear of deformities
