Definition

1. Noun:
   • A morbid fear of women: An intense, irrational, and persistent fear of women or of female figures.

Usage

• The term "gynophobia" is used in clinical and psychological contexts to describe a specific phobia, which is a type of anxiety disorder.
• It describes a fear that is excessive and unreasonable, often leading to avoidance behavior and significant distress.

Examples

• Noun:
  • His social anxiety was diagnosed as a specific form of gynophobia.
  • The therapist specialized in treating phobias like gynophobia and androphobia.

Advanced Usage

• Clinical Context: In psychiatry, "gynophobia" is categorized under specific phobias (F40.2 in ICD-10). It is important to distinguish it from misogyny, which is a dislike or prejudice against women, not a clinical phobia.
  • The study explored the neurological correlates of gynophobia compared to other specific phobias.

Variants and Related Words

• Gynophobe (noun): A person who has gynophobia.
  • As a gynophobe, he found it difficult to work in an office with many female colleagues.
• Gynophobic (adjective): Relating to or characterized by gynophobia.
  • He exhibited gynophobic reactions in certain social situations.

Synonyms

• Fear of women: A direct, non-clinical synonym.
• Androphobia (noun): The morbid fear of men. This is the conceptual antonym in the context of gender-specific phobias.

Antonyms

• Gynophilia (noun): An attraction to or love of women. (Note: This term is less common in clinical use and is sometimes used in contrast to phobias).

Noun

1. a morbid fear of women