thanatophobia

[ than-uh-tuh-foh-bee-uh ]

nounPsychiatry.
  1. an irrational or disproportionate fear of death, especially one's own: My daughter’s thanatophobia grew during high school—while many teens feel invincible, she was terror-stricken and obsessed with her mortality.: Compare necrophobia.

Origin of thanatophobia

1
First recorded in 1855–60; thanato- + -phobia

Other words from thanatophobia

  • than·a·to·pho·bic, adjective, noun

Words Nearby thanatophobia

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024