What Is Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is the fear of long words. Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is considered to be a specific phobia, which is discussed on the Phobia Types page. The word consists of 36 letters. It is a combination of elements that form a word which is likely to induce the fear it denotes. Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is also known as Sesquipedalophobia.
Influence Of Friends And Family Members
While many specific phobias can be inherited, sesquipedalophobia isnt something that runs in the blood. However, just like the fear of insects and fear of dogs, it is something that can be acquired via the company you keep. That is, family members, friends, and even colleagues, for that matter, can have an influence in developing the long word phobia in some people.
For example, if they have a genuine fear of long words and are constantly narrating their not-so-pleasant encounters with complex words, the effects can easily spill over in your life too.
This happens because of learned behavior a psychological effect that triggers the same reaction to a situation or thing as you have heard about it for so long.
Venustraphobia: Fear Of Beautiful Women
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What Are You Afraid Of
President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said: “…we have nothing to fear but fear itself.” For many people, however, there are many other things to fear, some of them seemingly strange or unusual to other people who don’t fear them. Here is a list of nine things that enough people are frightened of that experts have classified them as bona fide phobias. What’s on your list?
Sinistrophobia: Fear Of Left Side And Dextrophobia: Fear Of Right Side
You probably have Sinistrophobia if you feel uncomfortable with anything to your left side or someone who is a left-handed. But then, you might also have Dextrophobia if you fear anything to your right side. God knows the science between this left and right. But one thing for sure, many people really suffer from these weird fears.
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Facts About The Fear Of Long Words
Whats the longest word you can think of?
Disney Lifers are bound to answer supercalifragilisticexpialidocious from .
Shakespeareans can point to Loves Labours Lost and the comically long honorificabilitudinitatibus.
Or maybe an all time favorite, Antidisestablishmentarianism.
What is the fear of long words called?The Fear of Long Words has two distict names: Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia and Sesquipedalophobia
Fans of James Joyce know that the opening of Finnegans Wake includes an experimental onomatopoeic word which spans a truly Joycean one hundred and one letters.
Bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuo-nnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk
If all those big words have you worried, theres good news and bad news.
The good news is that youre not alone; a fear of long words is a recognized phobia.
The bad news is that it, too, is a long word: hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia. There is also an alternate term for it, sesquipedalophobia. As if it wasnt enough dealing with the fear of long words, pronunciation of either term for this phobia can be its own tongue-twisting nightmare.
That said, as Professor Dumbledore so wisely tells Harry Potter in The Philosophers Stone, Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itselfhowever fearful the name hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia might be.
So, what is at the root of this long words phobia, and what can you do when confronted with all these words, words, words?;
Sesquipedalophobia The Fear Of Long Words Explained
While the coronavirus outbreak has made almost everyone germophobic , there are people who suffer from more than 500 different types of phobia all over the world. For example, some people have hydrophobia , claustrophobia , aviophobia , arachnophobia , and so on. One such phobia is sesquipedalophobia the fear of long words.
The fear of long words might sound strange, and to some people, its even funny. They believe theres no such thing as sesquipedalophobia. But the fear of long words is very much real indeed. Yes, its a bit irrational, but it does exist, nonetheless.
People with long words phobia might experience a great deal of anxiety when they come across significantly long words. This can hinder their ability to read, learn, or write. It can even culminate into a fear of public speaking, keep them from developing a love for reading, and have similar undesirable effects in other areas of life.
If you think you have a phobia of long words, you have certainly come to the right place.
In this comprehensive guide to overcoming sesquipedalophobia, we discuss everything you might want to know about the fear of long words. This includes its symptoms, causes, treatment options, and lots of other information about fear and anxiety in general. And in case you happen to be among those who think that the long words phobia is overexaggerated, the revelations in the following article will surely make for an interesting read.
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What Causes Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia
When we develop a phobia, it generally surfaces as a reaction to something that the brain perceived to be dangerous or deadly. The same can be said for a phobia relating to big words. If this phobia of words is severe enough, the person will experience feelings of anxiety when confronted with a big word. This very post may be terrifying to you right now, what with so many instances of hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia being used.
No one is born with hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia. It is a learned fear that stems from a traumatic event. Most people who have hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia had no idea when their fear started or what caused it. However, some of us may be more vulnerable to developing a phobia if someone in our family experienced an extreme fear of something. A vulnerability to phobias can be an inherited or genetic trait, though the phobias themselves may differ among family members.
One possible reason for developing such a phobia may trace back to a child being mocked for reading a passage in front of the class and mispronouncing a larger word, or an adult experiencing the same situation while giving a presentation at work. They may have reacted with sweating, shaking, and a racing heartbeatall signs of anxiety.
Once this reaction has been established in the brain, the mind then continues to perpetuate the fear at various points throughout the person’s life without any reasonable explanation for doing so.
Weirdest Phobias You Never Imagined
Phobia is getting terribly scared of particular objects, people or situation without any sensible explanation. Phobias are disturbing and occur when you least expect to. In fact, it seems like human beings can get scared of almost anything in this world. We bring to you the top ten weirdest phobias that you never knew.
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What Is The Treatment
Many of us who know that they are intimidated by Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia may think of going through any sort of treatment for this condition as futile.
After all, it is not very often that one has to face situations where she/he has to read out loud such long words.
And phobias usually do not require treatments unless they are affecting your working capacity or your personality in general. But the above-mentioned symptoms can be more severe in some people than others.
What Causes The Fear Of Long Words
Unlike most of the other types of phobia, sesquipedalophobia is relatively rare. Therefore, theres a lack of research as to what causes this fear in people. Many people suffering from this problem dont usually remember how it started.
However, one thing is known for certain: no one is born with sesquipedalophobia.
The fear of long words is generally acquired by past events or memories that your brain recorded as unpleasant, embarrassing, or perhaps even dangerous.
The following is a more in-depth look at the different factors that can lead to the development of hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia.
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What Is Called The Fear Of Long Words
fear of long words phobiaphobialong words phobiawordknown as
. Also asked, what’s the fear of long words called?
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is one of the longest words in the dictionary and, in an ironic twist, is the name for a fear of long words. Sesquipedalophobia is another term for the phobia.
Furthermore, what is the meaning of Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia? hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia. Noun. The fear of long words. Ben is a sufferer of a mild form of hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia.
Regarding this, why is the fear of long words called Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia?
The Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia refers to the fear of big words or fear of long words. If you break the words of sesquipedalophobia then you can get to know much of it. Sesqui means one and a half in Latin, pedal means foot and phobia is the fear of anything.
What is Feretrophobia?
Feretrophobia is one such gruesome fear. You may have seen it on American Horror Story: Cult if you watch, but feretrophobia is the fear of caskets, coffins, and being buried alive.
- Anatidaephobia
- Pentheraphobia
- Chrometophobia
- Cherophobia
- Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia
- Bananaphobia
Iratxe Hastreiter
Some Of The Most Common Symptoms Of Social Phobias
The following is a list of some, though not all, of the most common symptoms associated with social phobias:
Trembling Difficulty breathing
Given the fact that everyone experiences social phobias differently, your symptoms may vary wildly.
In the case of this particular phobia, long words and books that you think may contain them can cause you severe anxiety. While those exaggeratedly long words at the beginning of the article are done for effect and not serious, they can nevertheless give anxiety to sufferers of this condition. They may fear pronouncing the words incorrectly and facing social consequences. As a social phobia, fear of public shaming and mockery stemming from mispronouncing words or sounding stupid are among the biggest symptoms and effects of sesquipedalophobia.
The aforementioned symptoms are for general social phobias because, again, social phobias are highly subjective and notoriously difficult to pin down with specific symptoms for each one.
The closest we come with cases such as sesquipedalophobia is a tendency to avoid books, especially those you suspect may have long words. In severe cases, that fear of books and long words may even result in nausea. However much we love to rip into nauseatingly bad books, this shouldnt cause you physical symptoms.
Additionally, people with this condition may perpetually seek excuses not to read books, especially in public.
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What Does Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia Mean
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia comprises of several words. It can be broken down in the following parts:
- Hippo the Greek word for horse
- Potam-os means river
- Monstr the Latin for the word monster or any other giant and terrifying living being
- Sesqui means one and a half in Latin
- Pedal the Latin word for foot
- Phobia the Greek word for fear
Put simply, hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia means the fear of words that are monstrously large. Similarly, the abbreviated form, sesquipedalophobia, means phobia of words that are, metaphorically speaking, over a foot long.
So, there you have it!
If you thought it was cruel to name the fear of long words with such an offensively long word itself, now you know that it actually captures the essence of this problem in the real sense.
A Strange List Of Phobias
We define a phobia as an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something. You are probably aware of the more common phobias, such as arachnophobia , claustrophobia , and agoraphobia , but did you know there are also words which describe the fear of idleness, worms, and even body odour? Explore the table below to discover the terms for some of the more interesting phobias you may come across.
| Object |
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Managing The Fear Of Long Words
For many people, the fear of long words is mild. If your phobia doesn’t significantly impact your life, making a conscious effort to expand your vocabulary can help. Look for opportunities to learn new words through reading or everyday conversation. If you come across an unfamiliar word, look it up. In many cases, familiarity can ease the symptoms of anxiety.
If your symptoms are more serious and are impacting your daily life, professional assistance may be needed. A mental health professional can help you work through your fears and provide coping strategies for managing your symptoms during the treatment process.
Fear Of Long Words Causes
Most phobias, including the phobia of long words, are caused by an event that is recorded in the two particular parts of the brain called the amygdala and hippocampus, as terrifying or intimidating.
Repetition of such conditions triggers the same anxiety by bringing back the memory of the original stressful event.
A phobia is not a congenital condition. A toddler is not scared of heights or afraid of long words. It is acquired with unpleasant experiences during the course of life and sometimes even due to terrifying stories heard from others.
In fact, sometimes it is even hard to remember the event that led to developing a Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia
As with every phobia, the symptoms of hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia are different for everyone, because everyone reacts differently to phobias. A person can have a physical, mental, and emotional reaction to a stimulus that terrifies them. For instance, a person can react with severe anxiety, experiencing a panic attack from merely seeing or thinking about big words.
Insofar as physical symptoms are concerned, a person might shake, cry, develop a headache, experience an accelerated heart rate or shallow breathing, and may become nauseated at the thought. They may develop dry mouth and may experience difficulty speaking, reading, or writing.
The mind can also play tricks on a person. The person will often understand that they are experiencing an irrational fear, but they are still unable to control or rationalize it. They may feel powerless over the grip that it has on them.
List Of Phobias By Name
Phobias are listed on this page alphabetically by their medical or scientific label. If you are looking for a specific fear; , go to the list of phobias by category
Listings underlined;may indicate other more serious anxiety disorders such as OCD. Some phobias may also indicate self esteem issues, PTSD or forms of abuse. Please see About Phobias for more information
Bacillophobia- Fear of microbes.Batophobia Fear of heights or being close to high buildings.Batrachophobia Fear of amphibians, such as frogs, newts, salamanders, etc.Belonephobia Fear of pins and needlesBibliophobia Fear of books.Bogyphobia Fear of bogeys or the bogeyman.Botanophobia Fear of plants.Bromidrosiphobia or Bromidrophobia Fear of body smells.Brontophobia Fear of thunder and lightning.Bufonophobia Fear of toads.
Caligynephobia Fear of beautiful women.Cancerophobia or Carcinophobia Fear of cancer.
Carpophobia fear of wristsCardiophobia Fear of the heart.Carnophobia Fear of meat.Catagelophobia Fear of being ridiculed.Catoptrophobia Fear of mirrors.Cenophobia or Centophobia Fear of new things or ideas.Ceraunophobia Fear of thunder and lightning.Chaetophobia Fear of hair.Chemophobia Fear of chemicals or working with chemicals.Chiraptophobia Fear of being touched.Chirophobia Fear of hands.
or Fibriphobia or Fibriophobia Fear of fever.Felinophobia Fear of cats.Frigophobia Fear of cold or cold things.
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Whats Behind This Phobia
What is a fear of long words? You just asked a mouthful.
One of the most difficult parts of dealing with this condition is simply getting people to take it seriously. How can someone be afraid of long words? Are you just saying that because youre bad at Scrabble? The queries and comedy can come thick and fast, but for you, its anything but funny and all too real.
So, if youve felt silly for fearing long words, this is your validationat least somewhat. The American Psychiatric Association does not recognize the condition as a distinct phobia in its own right. Rather, they note it as a social phobia, which is an umbrella term used for a wide range of potential phobias resulting from subjective triggers rooted in your surroundings. These tend to be different for every patient, so your form of sesquipedalophobia is bound to be different than anyone else who suffers from a fear of long words.
Related social phobias connected to words include the fear of books, bibliophobia, and the fear of poetry, metrophobia.
Some of the most common signs of a social phobia include having anxiety about a particular social situation, which is disproportionate to the issue in question. You may be anxious about reading books and sharing what you read with others. However, if Pride and Prejudice and poetry leave you screaming for the hills, this might be an overreaction to a stimulus .
Common Causes And Triggers Of Verbophobia
There are a large variety of reasons that cause or trigger the fear of words. But the most prominent ones are are:
- Upbringing People who are raised by people that either are afraid, or have transmitted a sense of uncertainty or danger related to words, might experience Verbophobia most commonly.
- Past Experience It might be also induced, or suggested from people that might have had bad past experiences with/in words.
- Genetics A persons ancestors that have been fearful of words were probably more likely to survive and pass down these fearful genes to their children and so on.
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