Acrophobia
/ˌæk.rəˈfoʊ.bi.ə/noun
An extreme or irrational fear of heights.
Did you know?The second half, -phobia, comes from Phobos, the Greek personification of fear and panic, so the word carries a mythic shadow from the start.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ákros
“highest, at the edge, extreme”
Ancient Greek
Greek
phóbos
“fear, panic; later also the name of the god/personification of fear”
Late 19th Century
English
acrophobia
“a pathological fear of heights”
Modern English
English
acrophobia
“an extreme or irrational fear of heights”
Explore more surprising origins