Thanatophobia
/ˌθæn.əˈfoʊ.bi.ə/noun
An intense fear of death or dying.
Did you know?Its first element, Thanatos, was not just an abstract idea in Greek myth but the personified spirit of death, so the word carries a literal mythic shadow.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
θάνατος (thánatos)
“death”
Ancient Greek
Greek
φόβος (phóbos)
“fear, panic, terror”
Late 19th Century
English
thanatophobia
“abnormal fear of death”
Modern English
English
thanatophobia
“intense fear of death or dying”
Explore more surprising origins