/ Dictionary / Index P phobia: Meaning and Definition of Find definitions for: pho•bi•a Pronunciation: (fō'bē-u), [key] — n. a persistent, irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that leads to a compelling desire to avoid it. -phobia Pronunciation: [key] a combining form meaning “fear,” occurring in loanwords from Greek (hydrophobia); on this model, used in the names of mental disorders that have the general sense “dread of, aversion toward” that specified by the initial element: agoraphobia. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease. See also: phobia (Thesaurus) -phobe phobic Related Content Daily Word Quiz: charlatan Analogy of the Day: Today’s Analogy Spelling Bee: Today’s Spelling Bee Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language