Emetophobia
/ɪˌmɛt.əˈfoʊ.bi.ə/noun
An intense fear of vomiting, seeing vomit, or being near situations associated with vomiting.
Did you know?In Greek mythology, Phobos was the personification of fear and the son of Ares and Aphrodite; his name became the suffix used in modern fear terms.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wem-
“To vomit or forcibly expel from the stomach”
Ancient Greek
Greek
emeîn (ἐμεῖν)
“To vomit”
Ancient Greek
Greek
émesis (ἔμεσις)
“Vomiting or the act of vomiting”
Ancient Greek
Greek
phóbos (φόβος)
“Fear, dread, or panic; also the name of fear personified”
19th Century
English/Greek compound
-phobia
“A combining form meaning an excessive or irrational fear”
20th Century
Medical English
emetophobia
“A clinical term for an intense fear of vomiting”
Explore more surprising origins