ailurophobia

Thân thiện

A person with ailurophobia backs away from a friendly cat.

Definition

Noun: * An intense, irrational, and persistent fear of cats. This is a specific phobia, classified as an anxiety disorder, where the presence or even the thought of cats can trigger significant fear or anxiety.

Usage

• The term is used specifically in clinical, psychological, and general contexts to describe an extreme and debilitating fear.
• It is a formal, compound word derived from Greek ( meaning "cat" and meaning "fear").
• Example: "Her ailurophobia was so severe that she would avoid visiting friends who owned cats."

Examples

• "The psychologist diagnosed him with ailurophobia after he described having panic attacks at the sight of a cat."
• "Due to her ailurophobia, she always checks if a host has a cat before accepting an invitation."

Advanced Usage

• The word can be used in a non-clinical, sometimes hyperbolic sense to describe a strong dislike or aversion to cats, though this usage is informal.
  • Example: "I don't just dislike cats; I have full-blown ailurophobia!"

Variants and Related Words

• Ailurophobe (noun): A person who has ailurophobia.
  • Example: "As an ailurophobe, he found the internet's obsession with cat videos distressing."
• Phobia (noun): The broader category of irrational fears.
• Cynophobia (noun): Fear of dogs.
• Arachnophobia (noun): Fear of spiders.

Synonyms

• Fear of cats: The direct, non-technical description.
• Galeophobia (noun): A less common synonym with the same meaning.

Antonyms

• Ailurophilia (noun): A strong fondness or love for cats.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a morbid fear of cats